Satya Niketan building collapse: Owner arrested in Rajasthan

The owner of the building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan that collapsed, claiming the lives of seven people, has been arrested in Rajasthan's Bhiwadi area on Monday (September 7), the Delhi Police said.

The development comes after a massive search operation involving 10 teams was launched to trace him.

An officer said, "Hariram Gupta has been apprehended from Bhiwadi. Further examination is ongoing in connection with the case."

10 police teams

According to a PTI report citing a police source, soon after the building collapsed on Sunday, Gupta received a call from a person he knew, informing him about the incident. Gupta was in Gurugram at the time of the collapse. He then immediately switched off his mobile phone and went into hiding, leaving the city, the source said.

Also read: Satya Niketan building collapse: 7 dead, 12 rescued; 5 MCD officials suspended

After procuring the owner's details, police teams tried to contact him, but he remained unreachable. Following this, a look out circular (LOC) was issued to trace his whereabouts and prevent him from leaving the country.

The police also shared the accused's details with several adjoining states and airports as part of efforts to locate him and ensure that he did not leave the country, a senior police officer said.

The Delhi Police formed 10 teams to trace Gupta. The teams included personnel from the southwest district, Special Staff and other units of the Delhi Police and launched a massive search operation to locate him.

The teams were sent to Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and several other adjoining districts of Haryana, with the searches being coordinated and supervised by officers of the additional deputy commissioner of police rank, police said.

Building collapsed during repair work

The building collapsed at around 1:30 pm on Sunday while repair work was underway, trapping several people under the debris.

Seven people have died so far in the incident, while many others were rescued from the debris. Search and rescue operations entered the second day on Monday, with agencies continuing efforts to ascertain whether anyone else remained trapped.

Police had earlier registered a case against Gupta and others at the South Campus police station under charges including culpable homicide, negligence in the upkeep of a structure and endangering the safety of others.

The investigation is examining the circumstances in which the repair work was being carried out and the condition of the structure before the collapse.

The arrest of Gupta comes as rescue and investigation teams continue to work at the collapse site and authorities assess the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident. Police said further examination of Gupta and other aspects of the case are underway.

5 MCD officials suspended

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said five Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials were suspended with immediate effect.

“Building owner has been arrested and legal proceedings are underway. Five MCD officials, including Deputy Commissioner, Superintending Engineer, Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer, have been suspended with immediate effect,” CMO said in a post on X (Formerly Twitter).

“Delhi Government is treating the matter with utmost seriousness. There will be no compromise on public safety, and responsibility will be fixed at every level,” it added.

According to the CMO, buildings with a fifth floor across Delhi have been ordered to be sealed immediately. Nearby PGs and other buildings are also being inspected. Any building found violating safety norms will face immediate sealing action.