Satya Niketan building collapse: PG operator, labour contractor sent to two-day police custody
Two men have been remanded to police custody following a building collapse in Delhi that killed seven people. Investigations revealed that unauthorized renovation work to level the basement compromised the building's structural integrity.
Why it matters
This incident highlights critical issues regarding building safety regulations and the dangers of illegal construction practices in densely populated urban areas.
The Delhi police on Wednesday arrested Sudhanshu Lovneesh, a 31-year-old operator of the paying guest (PG) facility housed in the five-storey building that collapsed in south-west Delhi’s Satya Niketan killing at least seven persons and injuring several others.
The police also formally arrested labour contractor Sanoj Kumar, who had been apprehended in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj a day earlier. He was produced before a Delhi court along with Mr. Lovneesh. The court remanded them in two days’ police custody. The proceedings were held in camera after Mr. Lovneesh’s counsel claimed that “a media trial” was prejudicing the ongoing probe, a police officer said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Amit Goel said the investigation found that building manager Mahesh Gupta engaged Mr. Kumar, 35, a resident of Moti Bagh, for renovation work 10 days before the collapse.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in