Two held for chawl collapse that killed 6 in Mumbai
Two persons were arrested on Monday in connection with the chawl collapse in the Mankhurd area a day earlier, which killed six, a police official said. The three-storey chawl (row tenement) collapsed on Sunday night in Janta Nagar in Mandala locality in the eastern part of the metropolis following heavy rains.
An FIR was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder as well as other offences on the complaint of one Mohammad Mukhtar Abdul Ali Shaikh (53), and two persons have been arrested, the Mankhurd police station official said.
The case has been registered against the building owner, the contractor involved in the construction, the hutment owner, and other private individuals and Government officials who allegedly knowingly facilitated or abetted the unauthorised construction, he said. As per the complaint lodged by Shaikh, the building had been constructed without the required permissions and safety protocols.
Despite being aware that the structure had remained in a dangerous condition for some time, those responsible allegedly failed to take corrective measures or implement safety precautions for the adjoining hutment, the official said, citing the complaint. Further probe into the case is underway, the police official said. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased.
