2019 Dongri bldg collapse: Police arrest four trustees

Dongri police on Thursday arrested four people in connection with the building collapse in Dongri that killed 13 people, including an infant, in July 2019. According

Dongri police on Thursday arrested four people in connection with the building collapse in Dongri that killed 13 people, including an infant, in July 2019. According to the police, the arrested accused are Safdar Karmali, 73; Barkat Unea, 67; Shabbir Mukadam, 63; and Ali Shroff, 45 — all four are trustees of the building.

HT Image

The arrests come after the Bombay high court directed the police to take action against relevant people for the collapse. Since nobody was held responsible after the collapse, Huma Jariwala, who lost her 28-year-old brother and niece in the mishap, through advocate Yusuf Iqbal Yusuf and Zain Jahid Shroof filed a petition in the HC seeking direction to the police and authorities to initiate action against the trustees of the building. Following this, the HC issued notice to the police and other authorities.

Sangram Singh Nishandar, deputy commissioner of police, zone 1, confirmed the arrests. The accused were produced in court and have been remanded in jail custody for 14 days.

Dongri police submitted a 800-page charge sheet in the court after taking statements of 76 witnesses and documents from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and report from the fire brigade and other departments.

Advocate Kailash Bhatt, appearing for the trustees, filed an application for bail following which the court asked the police to file its reply by Monday.