Thane Building Collapse Exposes Corruption in Real Estate Sector
A devastating illegal building collapse in Thane has tragically claimed 74 lives, including those of 19 children, bringing to light the deeply entrenched corruption within the real estate industry. The collapse of this unauthorized structure has raised significant questions about the level of corruption prevalent in real estate. Two builders, Jamil Qureshi and Salim Shaikh, have been taken into custody by law enforcement.
Nine individuals implicated in the building collapse case were apprehended and subsequently placed in police custody for a period of two weeks. Police investigations revealed that the required construction clearances were obtained through illicit means, with civic officials accepting bribes from the builders involved.
Although the builders are currently detained, it's unlikely they will face murder charges due to the existing state laws, which do not categorize building collapses as murder cases. In a press conference, Thane Police Commissioner KP Raghuvanshi stated that civic officials, along with a police constable, had received bribes from these individuals involved in developing the property. He further disclosed that the Anti-Corruption Bureau had recovered Rs. 5 lakh from the residence of a deputy municipal commissioner.
All the accused individuals were presented before a Thane court and remanded to police custody until April 20. The list of those accused include Deepak Chavan and Babasaheb Andhale, the deputy and assistant municipal commissioners of Thane respectively; Kiran Madke, the clerk, Hira Patil, a corporator from the Nationalist Congress Party and police constable Sayyed. Additionally, Jabbar Patel, an assistant to Mr. Chavan, has also been arrested.
Authorities are still searching for a retired assistant municipal commissioner, identified as Thorbole, and another developer, Adnan Shaikh, who remain missing following the catastrophic building collapse.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan took swift action on Friday, suspending Mr. Chavan and senior local police inspector KP Naik, both accused of disregarding building regulations and ignoring reports regarding unlawful construction practices. This building collapse represents the most destructive incident of its kind in Maharashtra, causing widespread grief and concern about real estate corruption throughout the state. This calamity constitutes the most devastating building collapse in Maharashtra's history.