Mettupalayam wall collapse: Owner of house arrested

The owner of the house in which the compound wall collapsed following heavy rains, killing 17 people, was arrested on Tuesday (December 3) on charges of causing death by negligence, police said.

Sivasubramanian, a textile showroom owner, was arrested a day after a portion of the damp 15-foot high compound wall came crashing down on adjoining houses in Nadur village, burying the 17 people alive. Out of the 17, ten were women and two were children.

A case under Indian Penal Code Section 304 A (causing death by negligence) had been registered against him after the tragedy and he was arrested in Mettupalayam, about 45 km from here, police said.

Also read: Mettupalayam wall collapse: Activists allege caste angle

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami condoled the death of the 17 and announced a relief of ₹4 lakh each to their families from the State Disaster Relief Fund in a statement.

Coimbatore District Collector K Rajamani told reporters that the villagers informed him about the issue over the construction of the compound wall. “If found illegal, the wall would be demolished,” he said.

He also said that facilities at the Mettupalayam government hospital would be upgraded to ensure that locals did not need to travel to the district headquarters here.