‘Verbal deal of ₹1.1cr’: Builders arrested in Saidulajab building colapse

Two builders, arrested for an illegal building collapse in Delhi, revealed they were hired verbally for ₹1.10 crore without necessary permits.

Two builders arrested on Tuesday in connection with the collapse of an illegal building in south Delhi’s Saidulajab have told investigators that they were engaged through a verbal contract worth around ₹1.10 crore to construct two additional floors on the structure, police said on Wednesday.

The building collapsed on May 30 while two additional floors were under construction. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The accused – identified by police as Manish Khatri and Avinash Gupta – were arrested days after police apprehended building owner Karamveer Zaildar. Investigators said Khatri is a distant relative of Zaildar and was overseeing the construction work along with Gupta.

Police were informed that the agreement for construction was not formalised through any written contract and that work on the two additional floors had begun despite the absence of mandatory approvals. Following the May 30 collapse, the two accused fled Delhi and stayed in Himachal Pradesh for some time to evade arrest.

“They kept changing locations, making it difficult to track them. They were eventually traced after returning to Delhi and were apprehended from Vasant Kunj,” a senior police officer said.

Police also found that Khatri had switched to using a non-smartphone allegedly in an attempt to avoid being tracked by police.

The building collapsed on May 30 while two additional floors were under construction, burying a canteen and damaging a neighbouring coaching institute. Six people – two doctors, three engineering graduates, and the owner of the eatery – were killed.