Delhi Saket Building Collapse Mcd Illegal Construction Police Warnings

The Delhi Police had written to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on two occasions in March about ongoing illegal construction atop the four-storey building near Saket Metro station that collapsed on Saturday evening, The Indian Express has learned. Sou... The Delhi Police had written to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on two occasions in March about ongoing illegal construction atop the four-storey building near Saket Metro station that collapsed on Saturday evening, The Indian Express has learned. Sources said police communicated with the civic body after a local beat constable noticed the construction that allegedly went beyond the permissible limit. Buildings in the area can be up to four storeys high, but several structures reportedly have five to six storeys. The Mehrauli police station wrote to the office of the MCD Deputy Commissioner (South) on March 3 and March 10, flagging the alleged violations and offering any assistance that the MCD might need. Sources said the MCD acknowledged receipt of the letters, but no follow-up action was reportedly initiated. Six people, including five young medical and engineering graduates, were killed after a large portion of the structure at the address Khasra No. 261 on Westend Marg in Saidulajab came down in a heap of rubble on an adjacent tin-roof structure that functioned as a canteen for students and other local people. The deceased have been identified as Ravi (24), Kapil (28), Nalin Ray (23), Alok (24), Ekta (24), and Parvati (35) who, along with her family, ran the eatery. All the dead were in the canteen at the time. Sources said the owner of the building, a resident of Vasant Kunj, was allegedly constructing two additional floors, and had given the contract for the job to a South Delhi-based contractor. Initial investigations suggest that the building’s foundation and basement structure were weak. The building housed the offices of startups and other private companies. The owner reportedly owns several plots across South Delhi, and earns rental income from them. The building itself was mostly empty when it collapsed around 7.15 pm. An individual who was on the ground floor was pulled out from the debris and admitted to the hospital. Police have registered an FIR under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 290 (negligent conduct with regard to buildings), and 125(a) (act endangering life or personal safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 (BNS), and launched a manhunt for the owner and contractor, both of whom have been missing since the incident. It has also emerged that work at the site had been stopped a few days ago because the contractor was having some payment issues with the workers. Following the collapse, two MCD engineers responsible for the area were suspended for alleged dereliction of duty and negligence. Asked whether construction work had been underway at the site, a senior MCD official said it was possible – and claimed that the now-suspended engineers had, on May 27, booked the property for alleged violations. “This building was constructed