Ghatkopar building collapse: Residents oppose Shiv Sena leader's bail plea
BMC had given a report earlier stating that Shitap had carried out unauthorised work on the ground floor of Siddhi Sai building in Ghatkopar which weakened it.
In Short
- Families of Ghatkopar building collapse have asked Bombay HC to reject bail application of Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap.
- The Mumbai Sessions Court in August had refused to grant bail to Shitap.
- Advocate Sujay and Ashish, will oppose the bail application of Sunil Shitap.
About 11 families, who lost their loved ones and their homes in the Ghatkopar building collapse today filed an intervention application in the Bombay High Court asking it to reject the bail application of Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap.
The Mumbai Sessions Court in August had refused to grant bail to Shitap, who was arrested in connection with the Ghatkopar building collapse on July 25. BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) had given a report earlier stating that Shitap had carried out unauthorised work on the ground floor of Siddhi Sai building in Ghatkopar which weakened it.
In his bail application, Shitap said that since investigation is over, no purpose was served in keeping him behind bars. Shitap claimed that he had appointed contractors to conduct a structural audit of the building in 2015 and found that urgent repairs were needed. He blamed the residents for not cooperating with the repairs while the building was in a dilapidated condition. He had also claimed that political rivals has implicated him in the case.
The Ghatkopar residents in their intervention application said, "In 2015, Shitap, his wife and mother, all three bought flats on the ground floor of the collapsed building. They converted the usage of the premises owned by them from residential to commercial without any prior permissions or consent of the society."
"In July this year Shitap carried out extensive alterations in the flats. During this time he removed all the load bearing internal walls and also removed 6 columns and beams of the collapsed building," read the application by the residents.
The application further stated that the remaining load bearing beams and columns had also been tampered with and many such massive structural changes on the ground floor had resulted in the fatal incident that took the lives of 17 people and left 14 people injured.
Advocate Sujay Kantawala and Ashish Mehta, who are representing the interveners have said that they will oppose the bail application of Shitap which is listed for hearing on tuesday Before justice R Mohite-Dere.
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