Bengal: One more arrested in Garden Reach building collapse case

Kolkata, March 20 (IANS) Kolkata Police have arrested another accused on Wednesday in the collapse of a five-storey under-construction building at Garden Reach area in the southern outskirts of Kolkata.

The accused has been identified as Sarafraz Malik a.k.a. Pappu, the owner of the land on which the building was being constructed.

Earlier, the cops arrested the promoter of the building Md Wasim, who is currently serving 14-day police custody.

He will be presented at the lower court in Kolkata on Wednesday only and the public prosecutor will seek his police custody.

Sources said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested promoter was in close associations with local landowners in the Garden Reach area and indulged in rampant illegal constructions in the area.

Wasim has also been accused by the local people of playing the role of middle-men of any sale and purchase of any real estate property in the area, with no transaction could be completed unless the buyer and the seller paid heft amounts as commission to him.

Ten people were killed and several others were injured following the collapse of the five-storey under-construction building at Garden Reach area in the southern outskirts of Kolkata on Monday.