Dattawadi wall collapse case: Builder, 2 aides booked for culpable homicide

A day after a wall collapsed in Dattawadi killing three women, the police have registered a case against builder A V Mulay and his two associates under charges of culpable homicide. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) too has served show-cause notice on the developer, RCC consultant and architect.

The police claimed that Mulay and his associates did not fortify the old compound wall while constructing the new building of Suvarnanad Park. As a result, the 30-feet compound wall became precarious and collapsed suddenly claiming the lives of three women at Mangirbaba Chowk on Sunday night .The victims included Shardha Majhire (45, resident of Dattwadi); Meera Shirish Athale (56, resident of Narayan Peth) and Madhavi Pangarkar (58, resident of Bibvewadi), both sisters.

Speaking to dna, senior police inspector Satish Govekar of Dattawadi police station said, “We have lodged a case against Mulay and his associates. They have not been arrested as they are out of station. We also spoke to the PMC authorities who informed us that the building is legal.”

According to the police, Athale and Pangrkar were returning home after meeting their 86-year-old mother in Dattawadi while Majhire was going for her night duty to Bhide Hospital when the wall collapsed and they were trapped under the debris. The women were taken out immediately by the locals and fire brigade personnel but in vain.

Meanwhile, the PMC spokesperson said that the building plan which was submitted by architect Dilip Kale on behalf of power of attorney holder A V Mulay was approved on September 9, 2009. “Preliminary inquiry reveals that the old structure of compound wall crumbled due to structural failure. The building plan shows supervision memo of the licensed architect and RCC consultant and therefore they should have got the structural failure examined by structural consultant.”

He minced no words saying that the mishap took place because the developer, RCC consultant and architect did not take adequate precautions. As per rule 7.1 of the development control rules, the property owner is responsible for safety at construction site, he added.

The spokesperson said that the PMC has served show-cause notice to the developer/ RCC consultant and architect. They have been asked to give explanation within three days after which appropriate action will be taken, he added.

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Charges slapped

Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

‘Nexus between PMC and builder’

Alleging nexus between Pune Municipal Corporation building permission department officials and the builder, corporator Dhananjay Jadhav has demanded action against the builder and the PMC officers involved in sanctioning permissions to Suvarnanad Park building. Pune city NCP Youth wing executive president Vipul Mhaisurkar has demanded that cases of culpable homicide should be filed against the builder and the architect.