New Delhi, Jun 9 (PTI): Delhi Police has arrested two builders in connection with the collapse of a multi-storey building in south Delhi’s Saidulajab that killed six people and injured eight last month, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused, Avneesh Gupta and Manish Khatri, were arrested from Vasant Kunj after an extensive search operation.
Investigators said the duo had fled Delhi immediately after the May 30 incident and kept changing locations to evade arrest.
According to police sources, the two builders first travelled to Dehradun and later moved to Manali, where they remained on the run for several days.
To avoid detection, they allegedly refrained from staying in hotels so that no official records of their whereabouts would be generated.
Sources said the accused largely relied on public transport and travelled on foot instead of using private vehicles or app-based cabs. They also kept their mobile phones switched off for most of the time and turned them on only briefly, twice a day, to contact family members and close associates.
Investigators said Gupta and Khatri have been associated in the construction business for a long time and were involved in the construction of the building that collapsed. Their role in the planning, construction and structural aspects of the building is being examined.
The owner of the building, Karamveer, has already been arrested in the case and remains in police custody.
The multi-storey building near the Saket Metro station collapsed on May 30, triggering a massive rescue operation that continued for several hours.
Six people were killed and eight injured in the incident.
According to police, the building housed a coaching institute, cafes and offices, while construction work was underway on its uppermost floor at the time of the collapse.
Investigators are examining whether violations of building norms, unauthorised construction activities or structural deficiencies contributed to the tragedy.
Officials said strict legal action would be taken against all those found responsible for the incident. PTI SSJ APL APL
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