A landowner from Bhiwandi who was arrested last year when a residential building collapsed in April, killing eight people and wounding over thirteen more, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court. The Narpoli Police Station in Thane detained Patil on May 1 on suspicion of violating sections 304(2), 337, 338, and 427 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Counsel Sana Raees Khan argued for Patil.
In granting landowner Indarpal Patil bail, the court noted that concerning the charge of constructing a mobile tower over the building’s terrace without taking into account its structural stability, it seems that “Unique Design,” a structural engineer, had verified the building’s structural stability on March 19, 2023, allowing the mobile tower to be housed there. The issue of whether the applicant possessed the necessary knowledge or purpose to cause the victims’ deaths to be charged with the crime covered by Section 304 of the Penal Code will be decided during the trial.
Patil’s attorney, Sana Raees Khan, contended that the petitioner was not involved in the building collapse incident. She stated that it is untrue what the prosecution claims—that the building was built without the planning authority’s approval. In actuality, the Gramme Panchayat Val, Tal. Bhiwandi, gave its approval before the building was completed. After receiving the stability certificate from the consultant structural engineer, even the mobile tower was placed on the building’s terrace. It was argued that the government’s investigation showed that the building collapsed because excess goods were kept that the structure could hold, and the applicant was not at fault for this.
The APP, Tanveer Khan, resisted the bail request. He stated that the tragedy had claimed the lives of eight people. He said, “Statements made by witnesses suggest that the applicant neglected to perform the required maintenance and repairs. As a result, the structure fell. Therefore, the petitioner is not deserving of an increased bail amount.”
According to the previously stated perspective, the issue of whether the applicant had the necessary knowledge or intent to cause the victims’ deaths for the crime covered by Section 304 of the Penal Code to be committed would be decided during the trial. There is no doubt that the structure collapsed, killing eight people. Thirteen people were hurt. However, the issue of the applicant’s involvement should be considered. All intents and purposes indicate that the probe is finished. The candidate is a member of the community. Judge NJ Jamadar stated, “I am inclined to exercise discretion in favour of the applicant because it appears unlikely that the evidence will be tampered with given the nature of the accusation.”
