The owner of the five-storey building that collapsed in east Delhi’s New Seemapuri, killing at least four people, has been arrested, police said on Tuesday. Mohammad Anwar, the owner, had been absconding since the collapse on Wednesday last in the congested lanes, trapping at least 11 people, including residents and neighbours. Eight people were injured.
The toll could rise as investigators await forensic findings to establish the identities of five body parts recovered from the debris. Police have initiated DNA examinations to determine whether the remains belong to victims already identified or to other people. The post-mortem examinations of three women who died in the collapse were conducted. A child aged around three or four years was also killed. The case was initially registered against unknown persons. A magisterial inquiry has been initiated to establish the circumstances leading to the collapse. A preliminary inquiry indicated that demolition work in an adjacent building, involving vibrating machines over the preceding three to four days, may have triggered the collapse.
The deceased were identified as Hazra Bibi, 56, her niece Nusrat, 33, and Gulafsa, 21, who was four months pregnant. Police registered a case under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
