Nalasopara building fire: Builder, partners booked over safety lapses

Mukund is the owner of Shree Ganesh Venture, the construction firm associated with the building. The case was registered on Saturday following a complaint by police sub-inspector Dhananjay Garje, senior police inspector Sujitkumar Pawar of the Achole police station said

Mumbai: Two weeks after a fire at the Imperial Heights building in Nalasopara killed two women and injured four others, the Achole police have booked builder Gangaram Mukund and his firm’s partners for alleged negligence. A police and fire department inquiry allegedly found that the building’s firefighting equipment was non-functional and emergency routes were locked.

Nalasopara building fire: Builder, partners booked over safety lapses. (Azim Tamboli/ HT Photo)

Mukund is the owner of Shree Ganesh Venture, the construction firm associated with the building. The case was registered on Saturday following a complaint by police sub-inspector Dhananjay Garje, senior police inspector Sujitkumar Pawar of the Achole police station said.

The accused have been booked under Sections 106(1), 125(a), 324(5) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The fire broke out in the building’s B wing on the night of October 14. Two women died of suffocation, while four others sustained serious injuries. The deceased were identified as Falguni Shah, 55, and Ashwini Parkar, 58, both residents of the 13th floor.

Following the incident, the police and fire department examined the building’s fire-safety arrangements. The inquiry allegedly found that the fire hydrants, sprinkler systems, smoke detectors, fire alarms and other firefighting equipment were not operational, police officials said.

Investigators also found that the terrace door, intended to serve as an evacuation point during emergencies, and the designated escape route were locked.

“It has become clear that the loss of life occurred precisely because these essential safety systems were not operational,” a police officer from the Achole police station said.

HT tried to contact Mukund several times but did not receive a response by the time of going to print.