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Mohali: Contractor arrested for roof collapse that killed labourer
The injured victims were rushed to the Mohali civil hospital in Phase 6, where Jaswinder Singh was declared brought dead
A day after a 32-year-old labourer was killed and another was injured after the first floor roof of an under-construction three-storey commercial building collapsed in Sector 118, Balongi police arrested the building contractor on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Jasveer Singh of Jugial Colony, Pathankot, is facing charges under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. If proven, the charge entails imprisonment for life or imprisonment up to 10 years.
Jasveer was booked following the complaint of sub-inspector Dilbag Singh.
According to police, the accused did not take adequate safety measures while constructing the building that led to the roof collapse and tragically claimed a precious life.
The deceased, Jaswinder Singh, hailed from Chuharmajra village in Mohali.
On Monday, around 4.30 pm, Jaswinder, along with five more labourers, was working at the three-storey under-construction building.
The RCC slab laid for the first floor roof was still wet, yet the roof of the second floor was being laid, according to officials from the local administration, who visited the site.
In the absence of proper support, the first floor’s roof gave way, also bringing down the second floor’s roof with it, trapping Jaswinder and another labourer.
The others managed to jump to safety using the steel pipes on the boundary of the structure.
The injured victims were rushed to the Mohali civil hospital in Phase 6, where Jaswinder was declared brought dead.
Mohali tehsildar Arjun Singh Grewal, who also reached the spot, said a probe would be carried out on the reasons for the collapse.
GMADA has also formed a committee to investigate any building violations.
According to police, the building contractor is not familiar with the building’s owner, as the structure is being constructed by the owner’s relatives. “The contractor does not even know the relatives. He was hired by an Ambala-based architect who will be questioned on Wednesday,” a police officer said.
