3 contractors arrested after Chawri Bazar building collapse kills two

Delhi Police has arrested three contractors in connection with the collapse of an under-construction building in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar that killed two people and injured two others on Thursday, officials aware of the matter said on Friday.

Police said the three men, who have been booked under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), were arrested from Sirohi village in Faridabad’s Dauj tehsil.

Deputy commissioner of police (central) Rohit Rajbir Singh identified the accused as Siraj, Tajuddin and Furkan, all residents of the Ajmeri Gate area. Their full names were not immediately available.

The arrests come amid questions over how construction continued at the site despite the building allegedly having no sanctioned plan and Delhi Police having alerted the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) about construction activity in the area nearly five months before the collapse.

The building, a ground-plus-three-floor structure in Gali Sitara near Chawri Bazar Metro station, collapsed in two stages around 9.30am on Thursday. The lintel of the third floor reportedly gave way while concrete work was underway, followed by the collapse of the remaining floors within 15 to 20 minutes. Two workers, Kishori, 40, and Sanjeet, 45, died, while two others sustained injuries.

Also Read: Chawri Bazar building collapse: What probes into previous Delhi tragedies found

The collapse also exposed serious enforcement lapses. In a letter dated June 15, the station house officer of Hauz Qazi police station had alerted the deputy commissioner of MCD’s City SP Zone about new residential construction spread over around 70 square yards at property number 4547-48 in Wali Sheesh Mahal, Ajmeri Gate, and sought action.

MCD acknowledged receiving the communication but said its subsequent inspection found the owner undertaking repair work that its maintenance department had advised in April. In its inquiry, the civic body alleged that the owner used the repair advisory as a cover to clandestinely undertake fresh construction on the second and third floors without the requisite permissions.

The MCD inquiry report also flagged the property’s tax declarations, alleging that excess floor coverage had been declared with the mala fide intention of misleading the authorities and claiming protection under laws applicable to older structures.

The rescue operation on Thursday was hampered by the extremely narrow lanes of the walled city, which prevented heavy machinery from reaching the site. Fire personnel and other rescue teams had to rely largely on manual debris removal. Residents of neighbouring buildings were evacuated after police warned that one adjoining structure was in a precarious condition.

Also Read: Chawri Bazar building collapse: Similar incidents that have rocked Delhi

Chief minister Rekha Gupta ordered the immediate suspension of the junior engineer and assistant engineer concerned, a detailed inquiry and an FIR against the contractor. She also directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured and provide ex-gratia assistance to the victims’ families.

Police are continuing their investigation into the construction activity and the circumstances leading to the collapse.