NEW DELHI: Illegal construction of additional floors, use of substandard material and disregard for building safety norms led to the collapse of a five-storey building in south Delhi’s Said-ul-Ajaib that killed six people, the Delhi Police has said in its nearly 300-page chargesheet filed nearly three months after the May 30 incident.
The police said supplementary chargesheets will be filed to examine alleged negligence by civic authorities.
According to the chargesheet, building owner Karamvir Singh and builders Manish Khatri and Avinash Gupta carried out construction in blatant violation of building norms.
Poor-Quality Construction Material Knowingly Used, Says Chargesheet
The three accused, named in the chargesheet filed before a Saket court on August 13, have been booked under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 290 (negligent conduct during construction of a building), 125(a) and 125(b) (causing hurt and grievous hurt by rash or negligent acts endangering human life), and Section 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Investigators alleged that no building plan had been sanctioned for the structure and that mandatory construction norms were not followed.
The investigation also found that two additional floors had been illegally constructed. Police said that before adding extra floors, a structural stability assessment by qualified experts is mandatory to determine whether the existing structure can safely bear the additional load.
However, no such structural assessment or certification was obtained in this case.
What Happened
According to the police investigation, builders Manish and Avinash were verbally contracted to construct two large halls for around Rs 1.8 crore. Construction began in January.
No architect was engaged for the project, while the accused were allegedly instructed to connect new pillars to the existing weak structure despite the absence of structural approvals.
The chargesheet further states that poor-quality construction material was knowingly used throughout the building. Investigators alleged that the accused were aware that the material was substandard and that the construction violated prescribed safety requirements.
A senior police officer said the investigation remains underway and supplementary chargesheets will be filed to examine the alleged negligence of civic authorities.
