Residents of Sector 109 stage protest, reiterate demand for a CBI probe

Gurugram: Hundreds of homeowners in Sector 109 and nearby areas held a protest march on Sunday, seeking justice for residents of Chintels Paradiso, the housing society where multiple ceilings of a building caved in on February 10, killing two women

Gurugram: Hundreds of homeowners in Sector 109 and nearby areas held a protest march on Sunday, seeking justice for residents of Chintels Paradiso, the housing society where multiple ceilings of a building caved in on February 10, killing two women.

Gurugram, India - February 20: Residents of Chintels Paradiso Housing Complex participate in a protest march demanding CBI probe in the multiple roof collapse in the residential complex, at Sector 109, in Gurugram, India, on Sunday, February 20, 2022. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

The residents demanded a thorough probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and urged authorities to take action against the developer and officials responsible for the tragic incident. They sought the “immediate arrest” of the promoters and directors of Chintels India Ltd and the government officials who issued occupancy certificates (OC) for the apartments.

“Even after 10 days, neither the administration nor the state government has taken any concrete action. None of the guilty, including the developer, has been arrested so far. This protest march seeks a CBI probe into the incident, arrest of the guilty and structural audit of all the nine towers under the supervision of a judicial bench,” said Sonam Arora, a resident of Tower H, Chintels Paradiso.

The protest march started from the main gate of the Chintels Paradiso housing society and moved towards the ATS Chowk (through Chintels Serenity, Brisk Lumbini and Raheja Chowk).

“Two innocent lives were lost and one resident was seriously injured. Residents of Tower D have been displaced from their homes. Also, many other families in Chintels Paradiso are in a state of fear and anguish because of the unsafe environment. We demand immediate action against those guilty,” said Dr Lalit Kapoor, another resident of Chintels Paradiso.

The police said they are still waiting for the department of town and country planning (DTCP) to release the structural audit report that will cite the reasons for the mishap, and will then take action in accordance with the law.

The police on Saturday collected samples from the damaged structure and sent them to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) in Madhuban.

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on February 14 ordered the district town planner to ask professionals from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) or similar institutions to conduct a structural audit of the Chintels Paradiso and other housing complexes and detect defects in design or workmanship. A three-member team from IIT Delhi is conducting a structural safety audit at Chintels Paradiso, said police.

On Friday, Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav visited Chintels Paradiso and provided the residents with alternative housing arrangements. He said they should stay in the temporary accommodation till repair or reconstruction of the collapsed tower is completed.

A spokesperson of Chintels Paradiso did not respond to request for comment.