NEW DELHI: The investigation into last month’s building collapse in south Delhi’s Saidulajab has revealed that the builders had been awarded a contract worth approximately Rs 1.8 crore to construct two additional floors on the structure.
The building, which housed a coaching centre, a café, and several offices, collapsed on May 30, killing six people and injuring several others. Construction work was reportedly in progress on the upper floors at the time of the incident.
The Delhi Police had earlier arrested Karamveer, the owner of the building, in connection with the collapse. Subsequently, on Tuesday, builders Avnish Gupta and Manish Khatri were arrested from Vasant Kunj. Investigators said the two had fled Delhi after the incident and were frequently changing locations in an attempt to evade arrest.
Police are interrogating all three accused to establish how the construction operation was being carried out and to identify other individuals who may have been involved. Preliminary inquiries have revealed that Khatri and Gupta were awarded the construction contract three months ago.
The probe has further found that the building, constructed around eight years ago, was not originally designed to support vertical expansion. The foundation and basement reportedly had limited load-bearing capacity, although officials are still verifying these findings.
Another key aspect under scrutiny is the excavation work carried out in the basement a few days before the collapse to install a water tank.