Satya Niketan tragedy: Delhi Police forms 10 teams to nab building owner Hariram Bansal after fatal collapse

New Delhi:The Delhi Police has constituted 10 separate teams to apprehend building owner Hariram Bansal in connection with the fatal collapse of the multi-storey building in Satya Niketan, as efforts to trace and arrest him have been intensified after a look-out notice was issued against him.

The teams include personnel from the local district police and Special Staff, along with officers drawn from various operational departments of the district.

Multiple teams have been formed to widen the search and ensure coordinated efforts to locate the absconding building owner.

All 10 teams are being led by officers of the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Additional DCP) rank, with senior officers supervising the ongoing operation and coordinating searches across different locations.

According to police, raids are currently being conducted at multiple locations in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as part of the efforts to trace Hariram and take him into custody.

Police registered an FIR against Bansal and others in connection with the building collapse on Sunday. According to police, the structure was being used as a paying guest (PG) accommodation, and renovation work was allegedly underway in the basement when the building suddenly collapsed.

The five-storey building, known as ‘Hostel Daze’, was operating as a boys’ PG, and several students were staying at the premises when the incident took place. An adjacent building also collapsed, according to eyewitnesses, adding to concerns over the safety and structural condition of buildings in the area.

At least six people have lost their lives in the incident, while five others have been rescued, and the search for those still trapped in the debris is underway at the building collapse site.

A large number of students are feared to be among those trapped in the rubble, as several students from nearby Delhi University colleges were reportedly residing in PG accommodations in the area.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta revisited the collapse site on Monday morning to take stock of the safety measures and review the ongoing rescue and related operations following the tragedy.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that an FIR had been registered against the building owner and made it clear that strict action would be taken against Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials if they were found responsible for negligence or lapses in the matter.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), directives have also been issued for the immediate sealing of illegal five-storey buildings across Delhi as part of measures to prevent similar incidents and ensure compliance with safety norms.

“Intensive inspections of nearby PGs and buildings; sealing to follow if violations are found. The Chief Minister made it clear that there would be no compromise on the safety of Delhi’s residents and that no one would be spared in cases of negligence,” the CMO said.

The authorities have stepped up scrutiny of buildings and PG accommodations in the vicinity following the collapse, with inspections aimed at identifying possible violations and taking action wherever required.

IANS