Contractor, 4 others, arrested in slab collapse in Malad building

MUMBAI: The Dindoshi police on Friday arrested five people including, the contractor, two supervisors and two engineers in connection with the slab collapse at an under-construction building in Malad East on Thursday that killed three labourers and left three others injured.
The arrested accused are Manpreet Singh, 40, the site contractor; Kailash Bharude, 42; Pranay Padvalkar, 33; Sagar Sonu, 36; and Sagar Revre, 32—all site engineers.
A case has been registered under sections Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence, and rash or negligent act endangering life.
“Adequate safety measures were not taken causing the deaths of the labourers,” said a police officer from Dindoshi police station. “We produced them before a magistrate court on Friday, which remanded them in police custody till Saturday,” added the officer.
Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Rupsan Mamim, who had suffered injuries in the fall, was released from the MW Desai Hospital in Malad East on Friday. While the other two injured – Jalil Shaikh and Mohammed Kalimuddin Shiakh are still undergoing treatment.
All six labourers were working on the 20th floor when the entire shed they were in came crashing down at 11:40 a.m., according to eyewitnesses, residents of the SRA building, and the other labourers.
The deceased, Gopal Banika Modi, 32, Sohan Jachil Rotha, 26, and Vinod Keshav Sadar, 26, were declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
According to the fire brigade and police officers, the men reported for work at 5.30 am on Thursday at the 23-storey building, which was the sale component of an SRA project at Haji Bapu Road, Govind Nagar, in Malad East.
Following the incident, agitated residents gathered outside the society, blocked the road, and demanded the immediate arrest of Shivshakti Builders’ head Devendra Pandey and the supervisor. “The builder had not taken any precautions for the labourers, residents or passersby,” said a resident. “The collapse took place during the day with several people walking past the construction site, who could have lost their lives too. He should be arrested.”