2 realtors held for building collapse in Delhi that killed 6; probe to examine design, illegal extra floors

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has arrested a builder and a contractor in connection with the collapse of a multi-storey building in south Delhi’s Saidulajab that claimed the lives of six people and left eight others injured on May 30, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused have been identified as Avinash Gupta and Manish Khatri, who were allegedly involved in the construction of the building. They were arrested from different parts of the city. Sources said the two are being questioned about the construction process, permissions obtained for the project and their specific roles in adding extra floors to the structure.

Earlier, police had arrested the building owner, Karamveer. During interrogation, he reportedly told investigators that construction work to add additional floors had begun around three months prior to the collapse.

Investigators found that the building lacked a sanctioned plan, approved construction map and other mandatory documents required for such construction. Police said the structure was originally designed to support only four floors, but two additional storeys were subsequently built.

Sources said Karamveer was earning nearly Rs 2.5 lakh per floor in rent from the commercial property and was allegedly looking to increase his earnings by adding two more storeys. Police suspect that the expansion was undertaken primarily to generate higher rental revenue and that the additional load placed on the building weakened its foundation, contributing to the collapse.

Police sources further said Karamveer was not present at the site when the building came crashing down. He allegedly went into hiding after being informed about the incident through a phone call and was later traced and arrested by police.

A rescuer involved in the operation said the investigation would focus on determining whether the building’s design, construction quality and subsequent modifications played a role in the tragedy.