Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A labour contractor has been arrested in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse that killed seven people, with police alleging that a wall was removed during renovation work shortly before the five-storey structure came crashing down.
Sanoj Kumar, 35, was apprehended from Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh and brought to Delhi, where he was arrested and questioned. Police said Kumar had been hired by Mahesh Gupta around 10 days before the incident to carry out renovation work at the building.
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CONTRACTOR WAS FILLING BASEMENT WITH DEBRIS
During questioning, Kumar allegedly told police that he was being paid Rs 2,800 per day for the renovation work. The work involved raising the basement level to that of the ground floor, for which around three truckloads of debris had been dumped into the basement.
Police said a wall on the ground floor was obstructing space meant for a shop. On the day of the collapse, the wall was removed to create more space.
According to police, the building could not withstand the resulting load after the wall was removed and subsequently collapsed.
The investigation is examining whether the renovation work and removal of the wall contributed to the structural failure.
PG OPERATOR ALSO ARRESTED
Police have also arrested PG operator Shudhanshu Lovneesh, 31, who allegedly continued operating the premises despite being aware of the renovation work.
Lovneesh and his friend Shubham Tyagi had taken four floors of the building on lease in August 2025 for Rs 1.05 lakh per month and operated them as a boys’ PG under the name Hostel Daze. Police said they took the property at a lower rent because of its dilapidated condition.
Lovneesh told investigators that he and Tyagi had been operating PG accommodations in the Satya Niketan area since 2022 and that they currently run seven such facilities.
SEVEN KILLED IN COLLAPSE
The five-storey building in densely populated Satya Niketan collapsed on Sunday afternoon, killing seven people — five students and two labourers. Five others were rescued.
Mahesh Gupta, who looked after the building’s maintenance on behalf of his parents, was earlier arrested along with his parents, Hariram Gupta and Urmila Gupta. Police said Mahesh had leased the building to Tyagi and Lovneesh.
All three accused — Mahesh, Sanoj and Sudhanshu — were produced before a court, which granted two days’ police custody.
The case was registered after police alleged that additional floors had been illegally constructed in the decades-old building for rental income. Further investigation is underway.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
