Months before Saket building collapse, Delhi owner warned by cops about illegal construction

Three months prior to the tragic building collapse in Saket, Delhi, Jai Raj Ojha, the husband of Parvati, had warned the building owner about the potential for the structure to crumble due to illegal construction. Parvati, aged 55, was among the six people who lost their lives when the building collapsed on May 30. The police have documented 15 testimonies in a 300-page chargesheet, including those of nine individuals who were injured during the incident.

The four-story building, situated in Said-ul-Ajaib village near the Saket Metro Station, was constructed in 2014 by owner Karamvir Sejwal, who had flouted building norms from the start, including the absence of a building plan. Sejwal was arrested two days after the tragedy and apprehended from his farmhouse in Southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj.

The chargesheet also alleges that a structural stability assessment was not conducted before Sejwal hired contractors Manish Khatri and Avinash to construct two additional floors without consulting architects. These contractors were awarded a contract for Rs 1.8 crore in January and allegedly bypassed necessary precautions, violating building norms and using substandard materials.

Despite warnings from both Parvati and her husband, the construction proceeded, leading to the catastrophic collapse on May 30. The deceased victims were identified as Ravi, Kapil, Nalin Ray, Alok, Ekta, and Parvati, all of whom were present in the canteen at the time. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended two junior officials from the Building Department, but the chargesheet does not mention them.

A supplementary chargesheet is reportedly in the works, detailing the involvement of government departments in the collapse.