Mumbai: Five days after a part of the five-storey ill-fated building, Aftab Manzil, collapsed, a First Information Report (FIR) against seven persons has been registered by the Mumbai Police.
All the accused have been booked under sections - 288 (negligence to conduct with respect to pulling down or repair of the building), 304 (culpable homicide), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety), 338 (grievous hurt), 34 (common intention), 120b (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
While addressing a press conference, the residents blamed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation' (BMC) for negligence. They alleged that the BMC failed to act on their complaints despite them sending numerous letters to the municipality since November 2008 about the weakening of the building and the structural changes made by the car showroom owner, Sandeep Bafna.
Rizwan Merchant, along with the other residents of the building who lost their kin in the accident addressed the media on Monday and stated that Mr Bafna had stripped off the basement pillars of the building, reducing its width, and also demolished the base wall to fit glass for his showroom.
"These changes weakened the building. After these changes in 2008, several requests were made to the owner brothers Furniturwalas and Iqbal Ibrahim and Bafna to get the repairs done as soon as possible but they paid no heed towards our complaints," Rizwan Merchant told the press.
Mr Merchant added, "We took the advice of famous structural engineer Chetan Raikar. Raikar had suggested for immediate repair with a proper technique to strengthen the pillars, but they did nothing. It was then we filed a complaint with BMC."
The residents alleged that the BMC officials colluded with the accused and failed to take any action.
The BMC on its part says no official complaint was ever received about the changes made to the structure of the building. "In the past we had received only a single complaint pertaining to illegal hoardings being put up on the building and action was taken accordingly," said a BMC official.
Shaken by the incident, Mr Merchant has vowed to start a movement to fix accountability or the complaints received against illegal structural changes and to ensure that mushrooming illegal constructions don't lead to the loss of human life.
All the accused have been booked under sections - 288 (negligence to conduct with respect to pulling down or repair of the building), 304 (culpable homicide), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety), 338 (grievous hurt), 34 (common intention), 120b (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
While addressing a press conference, the residents blamed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation' (BMC) for negligence. They alleged that the BMC failed to act on their complaints despite them sending numerous letters to the municipality since November 2008 about the weakening of the building and the structural changes made by the car showroom owner, Sandeep Bafna.
"These changes weakened the building. After these changes in 2008, several requests were made to the owner brothers Furniturwalas and Iqbal Ibrahim and Bafna to get the repairs done as soon as possible but they paid no heed towards our complaints," Rizwan Merchant told the press.
Advertisement
The residents alleged that the BMC officials colluded with the accused and failed to take any action.
Advertisement
Shaken by the incident, Mr Merchant has vowed to start a movement to fix accountability or the complaints received against illegal structural changes and to ensure that mushrooming illegal constructions don't lead to the loss of human life.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
"Jasprit Bumrah Asked About Slower Ball, Rohit Sharma Couldn't Play Me": Pakistan-Born Pacer Heavy Rain In Delhi, Nearby Areas Causes Waterlogging, Traffic Jams Kangana Ranaut Says Sold Mumbai Property After 'Emergency' Postponed 9 Dead, 2,800 Hurt As Pagers Explode Across Lebanon, Hezbollah Blames Israel China, Russia Concerned About India-US Relationship: Top American Diplomat "Wear Proper Undergarments": Delta Airlines' New Memo For Flight Attendants Liquor, Drugs Worth Rs 26.82 Crore Seized In Haryana Since Poll Code UN Says Lebanon Pager Blasts 'Extremely Concerning Escalation' Kamala Harris Calls For End To War In Gaza, No Israeli Reoccupation Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.