Chennai: The Madras high court on Monday wondered if the final report had been filed "in a hurry without completion of the investigation process". The bench also wanted to know if there was now finality to the report of the Justice Reghupathy commission of Inquiry constituted by the government for probing the reasons for the building collapse and suggest future safeguards. The commission, the bench noted, had not "pointed fingers at certain government officers".
The bench pointed out that advocate general A L Somayaji had himself drawn attention to a paragraph of the government's status report revealing that the foundation designed and executed by the builders were inadequate. This appears to be the reason for the architect to be made an accused. Also, the column design was found to be "inadequate to bear the deadweight of such heavy structure".
"We thus, put to advocate general that if there appears to be defect in designs, the same ought to have been apparent to the authorities which granted sanction to the plans and as to why the complicity in this behalf of any government officials has not been gone into before filing the final report", the bench said.
The court also pointed out that the government in a G.O. of May 28, 2013 had granted special permission for the Mowlivakkam structure relaxing the provisions of Regulation of Second Master Plans of Chennai Metropolitan Area. "In what circumstances, this exemption has been granted would be available from the records which are required to be produced before us", the bench said. The judges also wanted to peruse the Regupathy report.
They conceded the AG's request for more time and posted the case December 4.
