Committee will segregate valuables and documents to return to the owners; police, revenue officers will help, but wont get involved in the process
The remains of Tarique Garden dumped in a fenced compound
A committee of the residents of Tarique Garden in Mahad has been formed so that the segregation of building debris, consisting of gold, documents, cash and other valuables, can be identified and returned to the respective owners. Everything will be video recorded and the local police and revenue officials will be providing support, but they will stay out of the process to avoid any allegations later.
All Tarique Garden residents met on Friday evening to decide the future course of action to help retrieve what was lost. District Collector Nidhi Choudhary said, "We have already directed that the committee of Tarique Garden residents will be formed and they will be ensuring that the valuables and documents of concerned residents would be handed over to them."
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mid-day had on Thursday reported about the plight of several residents, mostly tenants who were left without any aid, unlike the flat owners. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 along with hospital bill clearance for the injured. However, the tenants got nothing. Some of them lost not just valuables, but important documents like PAN and Aadhaar cards.
Plaster chunks falling off a pillar
Have to start from scratch
Samir Pore, a tenant who lost everything in the crash, said, "We have to start from scratch now. I was living as a tenant in the ill-fated B wing, which crashed. Luckily, my family is alive."
Another tenant, Irfan Joglikar, lost over Rs 50,000 in cash along with gold ornaments. "As the building was about, we ran out and the thought of collecting any valuables didn't even cross our minds, as saving our lives was the priority."
Landlord took maintenance charge
Several tenants were paying Rs 1,000 as charge for maintenance, which is taken care of by the society committee, however, it was never formed. The tenants now learnt that the money was instead being taken by land owner Yunus Shaikh. Some of the residents have sought legal opinion of a Pune-based lawyer, who advised them to form a committee of the society members and then discuss about reconstruction.
Mahad Municipal Council Chief Officer Jivan Patil said they provided a JCB on the request of some of the Tarique Garden residents, some of whom have found their documents. "While some of the valuables found during the excavation work soon after the crash on August 24 was given to them. We would give them whatever remains in the rubble once the segregation work begins."
500 dilapidated structures
Tenants of Tarique Garden, Mahad
Choudhary said that there are around 500 dilapidated structures in the Raigad district, which consist of 15 Municipal Councils and Panvel Municipal Corporation. "We have now decided to issue notices to buildings in which cracks and damage are evident. This will include those not on the list of dilapidated structures. Residents would be directed to undertake necessary repair works at the earliest."
Patil said that they have already issued notices to 13 residential buildings in Mahad city limits, stating that the structures are dilapidated. "On Thursday, we evacuated residents [29 families] of Al Kasim building, a ground-plus three-storey building in Mahad city. The building was over 20 years old and in bad condition. The residents have either shifted to new houses or returned to their villages."
'No new projects this year'
Patil said, "On an average we would get around 30-plus proposals for building construction in a year, but this year, we have not received a single proposal for new projects. That's partly because of the COVID-19 lockdown. But, now, with the Tarique Garden mishap, we are not hoping to get proposals anytime soon."
Builder arrested
Meanwhile, the Mangaon sessions court on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of builder Farooq Kazi and remanded him in Mahad police custody for seven days. He was arrested on the court premises. Police added that Tarique Garden was Kazi's only project.
Inspector Shailesh Sanas of Mahad police station said, "Two others, land owner Yunus Shaikh and Reinforced Cement Concrete consultant Babulal Damani, who were earlier arrested, have been sent to magisterial custody at Alibagh jail."
Sanas said they are yet to arrest Mumbai-based Architect Gaurav Shah, Mahad Municipal Council's former chief officer Pradeep Dhingad and engineer Sashikant Dhige.
Seek Mumbai police help
Local police have approached the police stations in Mumbai, where multiple building collapses have been reported in the past, to understand how to investigate the matter, as this is the first such case in the entire Raigad district.
Sanas said, "This is the first instance of building collapse in Raigad district and we contacted our counterparts in Mumbai to understand the nature of the probe needed, the collection of evidence and about the relevant sections for the offenses committed. Meanwhile, forensic experts from FSL, Kalina, and a team from VJTI, Mumbai, have already examined the crash site and collected the construction materials, which will be tested."
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