Building demolition goes wrong, 4 killed
MEERUT: Four persons were killed and one injured during demolition of an unauthorised shopping complex in Sadar here on Saturday, sparking tension in the area.
Authorities rushed rescue personnel and a team of the National Disaster Relief Force to the site as experts warned many more people could be buried under the rubble.
“Police have registered a case against chief executive officer of Cantonment Board Rajeev Srivastava, executive engineer Anuj Singh and the team members involved in the demolition,” said DIG Laxmi Singh.
Later, police arrested Anuj Singh. However, the cops require clearance of the defence ministry for arresting Srivastava.
Officiating district magistrate Dinesh Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident by city magistrate Keshav Kumar.
The deceased have been identified Deepak Sharma, 42, his son Honey Sharma, 16, Govinda, a labourer and resident of Hardoi and homeguard Omveer, who was Honey’s friend and had came to meet him. The injured has been identified as Bittu, a labourer, who has been admitted to a hospital, said SP (City) O P Singh.
Deepak ran a food joint at his residence adjacent to the shopping complex. He along with others got trapped under the debris of complex when it was being demolished.
Jagmohan Shakal, former member of Cantonment Board, feared that more people may be trapped in the debris.
Terming the incident as a ‘massacre’, he accused army and administrative officials for running away from the spot instead of rescuing the trapped persons who were crying for help.
Meanwhile, angry traders and locals shouted slogans against BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal when he visited the spot and compelled him to go back from there. They also demonstrated outside the residence of Cantonment Board CEO and then at the Board in protest against the incident. The scared board officials escaped from their offices.
Sunil Dua, president of Sadar Vyapar Mandal, has demanded termination of the board officials for allowing the illegal construction and, thereafter, demolishing it in a haphazard manner.
A four-storeyed shopping complex and many individual dwellings were constructed on the premises of 210 B Bungalow of defence estate over the period of time. The board petitioned the lower court against the construction and the court directed them to demolish it. The builder then moved the Allahabad high court which upheld the demolition order. The matter was then taken to a double bench of the court for hearing and builder again lost his case. The board officials and team attempted to demolish the building a few days ago in compliance of the court order but were compelled to go back due to public protest. They came back again on Saturday morning along with police, administrative officials and army jawans and began demolishing the building when the incident occurred.