Surat building collapse: Negligence complaints against three, including owners and caretaker

According to the police, Raj is currently in the US on a tour, and Ashwin was looking after the building and the tenants on his behalf.

The police have procured 2-day remand of Ashwin Vekariya and started the process to issue a red corner notice against Raj Kakadiya.

The five-storey building at Paligam’s Krishnanagar society was occupied by textile workers and their families. According to sources, a few labourers who had finished the night shifts were in the building when it collapsed.

While the building collapsed on Saturday, the bodies of seven people were retrieved from the spot by the rescue teams on Sunday morning.

Police have invoked sections pertaining to ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’ and ‘abettor present when an act or offence is committed’ against the accused.

The seven deceased were identified as Hiramani Kewat (40), Abhishek Kewat (30), Brijesh Gaud (48), Shivpujan Kewat (23), Anmol alias Sahil Shaligram (17), Pravesh Kewat (21), and Lalji Kewat (38).

Ashwin (47) was produced before Surat district court by the police on Monday. While the police had sought a remand of seven days, the court granted remand until July 10.

According to inspector J R Chaudhary, Ashwin’s responsibility was to collect the rent from occupants and hand the money to Ramila Kakadiya, Raj’s mother. Claiming that Ashwin had called Ramila after the collapse, Chaudhary told The Indian Express that he allegedly asked her to “hide important registry documents of the building” and “go underground”.

According to Chaudhary, the tenants complained to Ashwin multiple times about cracks in beams, columns and walls and asked for repairs, but nothing was done.

He said the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had issued multiple notices about the poor structure of the building, but “Ashwin, Ramila and Raj had not paid attention to it”.