Sunil Shitap responsible for building fall: BMC report

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) released the probe report of the Ghatkopar building collapse on Wednesday. The report stated that unauthorised work carried out by Sunil Shitap on the ground floor of the Siddhi Sai building had worked as a trigger for collapse of the structure. Hence, he is solely responsible for the loss of life and property. The final report included the analysis of previous structural reports and statements recorded from different people and authorities associated with the collapse.

The report was tabled before the civic chief Ajoy Mehta on Wednesday. He accepted the 32-page report and later ordered it to be uploaded online on the BMC website, so that the public could access it.

On July 25, a ground-plus-four structure, Siddhi Sai residential building had come crashing down, killing 17 people and leaving many families homeless in a day. The residents of the building had blamed Shitap for the incident as he had carried out alterations on the ground floor of the premise. Although the Parksite police arrested Shitap, the civic body had ordered for a high-level inquiry probe to know the cause of the collapse. A three-member committee headed by additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal, along with Chadrashekhar Chore, deputy municipal commissioner and Vinod Chithore, chief engineer (roads) had done the probe. After much delay, the committee presented the final report on Wednesday.

Also, the BMC had appointed a structural consultant, whose report states, “The structure did not collapse on his own but due to the modifications carried out on the ground level of the building. Age related distress is not the cause of the collapse.”