The letter described the work as a new construction spread over approximately 70 square yards and identified the landowner and contractor as Furqan. The nature of the violation was marked as 'small' in the communication. (Image/X)
New Delhi: Months before a three-storey building which was being constructed in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar area came crashing down on Thursday morning, killing at least two people, Delhi Police had flagged unauthorised construction at the property, officials said.
In a communication dated June 15, addressed to the deputy commissioner of the MCD's City-SP Zone, the Hauz Qazi station house officer (SHO) had said unauthorised construction was being carried out at the property.
The letter described the work as a new construction spread over approximately 70 square yards and identified the landowner and contractor as Furqan. The nature of the violation was marked as 'small' in the communication.
"I inform you that unauthorised construction is being carried out in the said premises," the Hauz Qazi SHO stated, requesting the civic body to inform concerned agencies for necessary action.
The communication also offered police assistance to civic authorities for taking action against the unauthorised construction.
MCD City-SP Zone Deputy Commissioner Kanika did not respond to PTI's query regarding Delhi Police's complaint.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), however, in a statement said on June 15, information was received from Delhi Police regarding unauthorised construction activity at the said property. Photographs were enclosed with the communication, indicating that repair and maintenance work was being undertaken at the premises.
"Taking cognisance of the said communication, an inspection was conducted, during which the owner was found undertaking repair work at the premises. No subsequent complaint regarding fresh construction activity involving complete demolition of the existing structure, or any other information in this regard, was received thereafter," the statement read.
It further said, as per tax records, the property was declared as a ground plus four floors (G+4) building, having a covered area of approximately 80 square metres (approx 96 sq yards).
"It is submitted that, while portions of the earlier structure existed at the premises, the owner appears to have undertaken fresh construction on the second and third floors under the garb of repair work, resulting in a G+3 structure, beyond the scope of the advisory issued by MCD.
"The fresh construction was undertaken without complying with the conditions stipulated in the advisory or obtaining the requisite statutory permissions. The declaration of excess floor while self assessment of property during filing of property tax shows the mala fide intention to misguide the authority to take advantage of protection under special laws," the statement read.
A written complaint has been submitted to local police for registration of an FIR against the owner in connection with the unauthorised construction activity, it added.
The three-storey building under construction in crammed Gali Sitara near Chawri Bazar metro station collapsed on Thursday, killing at least two people, with a rescue operation underway to pull out those buried under the rubble of twisted wires, pylons and concrete slabs, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said around 10 to 15 labourers were apparently present at the construction site when the building collapsed.
An MCD official said the collapsed building was an unauthorised structure. No building plan had been sanctioned for it, and the civic body had not received any complaint regarding the construction.
The construction work had virtually stopped around 15 days ago, the official said, adding that the building had reached three floors and collapsed while the roof slab was being constructed.
"The material used was non-engineered and had not been set properly, which eventually led to the collapse," the official said.
Delhi Police have registered an FIR under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against the building owners and contractors.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who visited the site, has ordered an inquiry into the incident. She has also ordered immediate suspension of the junior engineer and assistant engineer concerned.
Authorities have restricted movement near the site amid concerns that the adjoining building could also be structurally unstable.
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