Collapse case: Sunil Shitap pleads innocence

Mumbai: In the hearing for the bail application of builder Sunil Shitap in the July 25 Ghatkopar building collapse, which left 17 persons dead, his lawyer claimed that his client was innocent and was only carrying out minor repairs to the building and the collapse was an accident.

He also said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) expert committee report was not accurate and his client was framed due to political rivalry.

Shitap also objected to the intervention application filed by the relatives of the victims but the court did not pay heed.

The bail application was being heard in the sessions court before judge M.M. Umar wherein Shitap’s lawyer advocate Mateen Shaikh claimed that Shitap owned four flats in the building and was involved in public service by operating a clinic from the premise. He further stated that Shitap was carrying out tenable repairs to his premise when the accident occurred and the building collapsed. In light of this, he argued that Shitap could not be held responsible.

He further argued that there was an effort to incriminate Shitap due to political rivalry and hence the expert committee report was also not reliable. On these grounds he sought bail for Shitap.

When senior advocates Sujay Kantawala and Ashish Mehta for the intervenors consisting of relatives and kin of the deceased opposed the claims of Shitap’s lawyers, Shaikh asked the court to refuse them permission to speak.

However, the judge allowed the intervenors and permitted them to have their say after the public prosecutor advocate Ram Singhani finished his arguments to oppose Shitap’s bail application.

The next hearing will be on November 2.