Delhi Police on Monday arrested the owner of the building that collapsed in south Delhi's Saket area, killing six people and injuring eight others, officials said. The accused has been identified as Karamveer, son of Mangal Singh, aged 71 years.
Police said Karamveer has been arrested as part of the investigation into the crash.
The five-storey building, which collapsed on Saturday (May 30) near the Saket Metro station, housed a coaching institute, cafes, and offices, and construction work was underway on its uppermost floor at the time of the collapse.
MCD orders crackdown on illegal structures
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will launch a crackdown on illegal structures in South Delhi. In the first phase of its inspection, the civic body has identified six buildings in the vicinity of the collapsed structure that violate building bye-laws, and it is likely to begin a seal-and-vacate drive.
"We will be issuing notices to all the unauthorised buildings having more than ground plus three floors (G+3). The drive will start in Mehrauli, Saket, and other adjoining areas," a senior MCD official said.
"Illegal construction is rampant in Saidulajab, Paryavaran Complex, and Freedom Fighters' Enclave in the Saket area alone. Similarly, in Mehrauli and nearby areas, illegal structures will be identified during an inspection," an official added.
According to the officials, the MCD seals properties or issues vacation notices for unauthorised construction, severe structural deviations, or the operation of unpermitted commercial activities in non-conforming zones.
Saket building collapse
The multi-storey building in Saket's Saidulajab area came crashing down on Saturday. The building housed a coaching institute, cafes, and offices, and construction work was underway on its uppermost floor at the time of the collapse.
Following the incident, a massive rescue operation was launched, which also included personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) also called a review meeting to analyse the situation.
The deceased, the police said, were identified as Ravi (24), Kapil (28), Nalin Ray (23), Alok, Parvati (35), and Ekta (24). Meanwhile, the injured were Kshitij Pratap (25), Neelam Yadav (25), Anuj Dixit (22), Tarun (25), Saika Khan (27), Aastha (26), Aditya Sharma (24), and Vishal (25).
An FIR has been registered under relevant sections, including culpable homicide, and teams have been constituted to investigate the circumstances that led to the collapse and arrest the building owner, police said.
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