Saidulajab Collapse: Saket Court Chargesheet Cites Illegal Floors, Basement Dig

A nearly 350-page chargesheet submitted to a Saket court has revealed that unapproved upper floors and basement excavation led to the deadly May 30 building collapse in Saidulajab, which claimed the lives of six people.

The chargesheet was filed on August 13 by the Mehrauli police following an investigation into the collapse. The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for August 22.

According to a senior police officer citing the document, fifth and sixth floors had been constructed on top of the existing four-storey structure that included the ground floor. The substantial additional weight from this ongoing work caused the building to collapse. The document noted that the new construction was neither approved by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) nor had a fire no-objection certificate (NOC) been obtained for safety.

The investigation further established that the property owner had excavated the basement to construct an underground water tank. This digging compromised and weakened the building's structural foundation. As the weight increased during the construction work, the entire building gave way.

Police have held property owner Karamveer Singh and builders Manish Khatri and Anivash responsible for the incident. They have been booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 290 (dangerous negligence during construction work), and 125A (endangering the life or personal safety of others through negligence and causing grievous injury through negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Concrete samples used in the structure have been sent for forensic examination. Police confirmed that the findings from the forensic report will be presented in a supplementary chargesheet.