Alaya Apartment collapse: Yazdani held in Nainital, key accused elusive

While key accused Shahid Manzoor was still at large, Tariq and Nawazish, arrested earlier in the case, were out on bail

LUCKNOW After remaining elusive for eight months, Fahad Yazdani, one of the accused in the infamous Alaya Apartment collapse in Lucknow on January 24, 2023, which claimed three lives, was arrested from Nainital on Friday, said police.

Yazdani was held from the Bhawali area of Nainital. (Pic for representation)

An FIR in the incident was lodged by the Hazratganj police on January 25 against SP MLA Shahid Manzoor, his son Nawazish, nephew Mohd Tariq and Fahad Yazdani. It was alleged that the apartment was constructed by them without getting maps approved and using substandard material.

While key accused Manzoor was still at large, Tariq and Nawazish, arrested earlier in the case, were out on bail.

Yazdani was held from the Bhawali area of Nainital. “Yazdani, 40, was at large in several cases registered against him at Hazratganj and Mahanagar police stations for duping people through his firm - Yazdan Infracon Pvt Limited. He will be presented before court for judicial custody,” said DCP (central) Aparna Rajat Kaushik.

However, he was relieved in the Alaya Apartment collapse case, informed the ACP.

Police confirmed that a charge sheet was filed in the Alaya incident and five people were named in it, including Samajwadi Party MLA Shahid Manzoor, his son Nawazish, nephew Mohd Tariq and others. “Now that Fahad Yazdani has been arrested, his name will be added to the charge sheet as the co-accused,” said the ACP.

Tariq and Nawazish were held after the building collapse when police registered an FIR under IPC sections of 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 302 (attempt to culpable homicide), 420 (fraud), 120b (criminal conspiracy). While Tariq and Nawazish were arrested two days after the incident, Yazdani remained elusive, said Pramod Pandey, SHO, Hazratganj.

SP spokesperson and former resident of Alaya Apartment, Abbas Haider, who lost his wife Uzma Haider and mother Begum Haider incident, said: “Shahid Manzoor is roaming free… why are the police not arresting him when his name is in the charge sheet? Two others arrested earlier are out on bail. I demand the arrest of those whose names are in the charge sheet.”

The residents of Alaya Apartment, who became homeless overnight, continue to live with their relatives. “I’m still staying at my daughter’s friend’s place. We’ll soon rent a place. I will retire next year. Before that I have to bring my life back to normalcy,” said Ranjana Awasthi, a power department official.

Awasthi had to postpone her daughter Aloka Awasthi’s wedding as she lost everything in the building collapse, including jewellery and cash.

Another former resident Honey Haider, who is still living with his in-laws along with his wife Afreen Fatima, said: “We’ll file a petition, if we are not satisfied with the police investigation.”