Mahim building collapse: For Faraz, a call for help went in vain

Noted criminal lawyer Rizwan Merchant, who occupied the second floor of the four-storey Altaf Mansion, part of which collapsed on Monday night, lost three of his family members in the incident.

Merchant and his eldest son, Faiz, survived as they were at their office in south Mumbai on Monday, the first working day of the Bombay high court after the summer vacation.

Merchant lost his mother Tahira, 78, wife Asifa, 50, and his youngest son Faraz, 13. Their bodies were pulled out of the rubble early on Tuesday morning.

Till midnight Faraz was calling up Rizwan asking his father to rescue him, indicating that he was alive. However, the rescue team was unable to locate him. The calls stopped just after midnight.

Merchant had lodged a complaint with the BMC nearly two years ago informing it about an illegal alteration made to a showroom on the ground floor of the building. However, the corporation did nothing.

After passing LLB from the Government Law College in 1984, Merchant assisted his lawyer father. Merchant started independent practice after his father’s death in 1985.

In a career spanning nearly three decades, Merchant has defended celebrities such as Sanjay Dutt (1993 serial bomb blasts case). In a case filed by producer Shakeel Noorani, Merchant was successful in de-attaching the actor’s flat.

He also defended Salil Chaturvedi in the narcotics case in which the Provogue owner was allegedly framed by the police.

Of the 1993 bomb blasts accused, he is representing Mustafa Dossa who was deported from Dubai. The trial against him and another deported gangster Abu Salem is going on before the special TADA court.

Status of patients
Mahim building collapse has left: 10  persons dead, 6 more were injured.

Of the 6 injured, 4 are hospitalised in various hospitals and two have sought discharge.

An unknown 45-year-old male is admitted to Sion Hospital’s trauma ICU. He is critical and on ventilator.

Chandbi Shaikh (18) has been admitted to Hinduja Hospital.

Those who sought discharge are Farhana Lakha (44); Saieda Mitani (18) from Hinduja Hospital.

Dead - 10, injured - 6 
(Admitted - 4, discharged - 2)

Sion Hosp-01; Bhabha Hospital - 01

Hinduja Hosp- 01 ; Kem Hosp- 01