Court hears counsel's arguments in the Thane building collapse case

Mumbai: Arrested Thane Municipal Corporation Deputy Municipal Commissioner Deepak Chavan's counsel told a special court hearing the police remand application today, that his appointment was not for carrying out demolition work at all. The statement by his counsel Rajan Salunke stunned those present in the chamber of special judge K R Warrier, who remanded all the nine arrested in connection with the recent building crash to police custody upto April 20.[caption id="attachment_691082" align="alignleft" width="380"] The Court heard the counsel's arguments in the Thane building mishap case. PTI. [/caption] Additional Public Prosecutor Ruma Navle who appeared for the police told the court that the investigation was at a preliminary stage and that the police which had recovered Rs 5 lakh from the DMC's residence, had to recover more evidence and hence police custody of the accused was necessary. The public prosecutor also told the court that the investigation team had to examine bank accounts and records to establish how much money had changed hands in the process and also how much money had been paid to each of those arrested and other accused by developers as protection money. Advocate Akaram Chavan who appeared for arrested corporator Hira Patil told the court that this was the first time a Thane corporator had been arrested for pointing out the civic corporation's mistake. He told the court that when the corporator saw the structure coming up, he alerted the civic corporation on February 1. After the corporation failed to take any action, he wrote to the corporation, specifically referring to the construction in Lucky Compound, stating that it was dangerous to allow such buildings to come up.PTI