Earlier this week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) logged an FIR against Ashok Saloman, Managing Director of Chintels Group in a case concerning the partial collapse of the Chintels Paradiso apartment complex in Gurugram last year that claimed the lives of two women. The husband of one of the deceased women, who was also severely injured in the accident, filled cases against the developer under IPC sections 304-A and 420. In December 2021, the Gurugram Police arrested Mr Amit Austin, the proprietor of Manish Switchgear and Construction, the company commissioned to conduct the repair work of the building after a magisterial inquiry found that the retrofitting in Flat D603 was the key trigger for the collapse.
Earlier this week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) logged an FIR against Ashok Saloman, Managing Director of Chintels Group in a case concerning the partial collapse of the Chintels Paradiso apartment complex in Gurugram last year that claimed the lives of two women. The husband of one of the deceased women, who was also severely injured in the accident, filled cases against the developer under IPC sections 304-A and 420 which relate to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and cheating, amongst others.
The incident occurred when renovation work was taking place in the drawing room of the sixth floor flat in Tower D of Chintels Paradisco. The collapse of the 6th floor apartment triggered the collapse of the subsequent roofs and floors of all apartments below it until the 1st floor. While the two women were killed with the collapse, Mr A K Shrivastava was stuck under the debris for more than 15 hours before been rescued by the NDRF team. In July last year, the Haryana Government handed the case over to the CBI.
In December 2021, the Gurugram Police arrested Mr Amit Austin, the proprietor of Manish Switchgear and Construction, the company commissioned to conduct the repair work of the building. A magisterial inquiry found that the retrofitting in Flat D603 was the key trigger for the collapse, thus holding Chintels India and Manish Switchgear and Construction responsible for the accident.
In February after the horrific accident, residents of the Chintels Paradiso Condominium located in Sector 109, Gurugram appealed to the Supreme Court seeking compensation, rehabilitation, and an independent structural audit. They urged the Court to take strict action against the developer and other stakeholders responsible for the construction and repair of the towers. The entire complex hosts over 180 families. Tower D which witnessed the collapse was an 18-storey building with 50 flats. As a result, the Supreme Court ordered a probe to be conducted by a team of experts from IIT-Delhi to conduct a structural audit.
The report submitted stated that the auditors found structural deficiencies in the construction of the towers. According to the findings, experts suggested that retrofitting or repairing of the tower would not be possible on technical and economic grounds. Other notable mentions in the report include a high presence of chloride in the concrete and visible signs of distress in Towers E & F such sagging in balconies and flats. Repair work conducted was also faulty as it did not follow the requisite standards and corroded steel was used as reinforcement which had been painted over as a cover up. Based on the submitted report, a demolition order was issued. All 28 families residing in Tower D were given between Rs 25,000/- to Rs 37,00/- per month as compensation until the structure is reconstructed.
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