60 cases, police say builders not found

60 cases, police say builders not found
JOYDEEP RAY

AHMEDABAD, MARCH 1: January 26: More than 700 people died when 58 buildings collapsed in the Republic Day quake in Ahmedabad.

February 28: Outraged residents have filed 60 cases against builders but the police have made arrests in only 16 cases so far.

Budget 2001: Full Coverage

Citizens have flooded the police with complaints, preliminary investigations has been completed, samples of construction material have been collected and the necessary documents obtained from the civic body but the police seem to be in no hurry to move.

The two big fishes -- Satish Shah, who built Shikhar Apartments where 98 people died, and Rakesh Shah, whose three buildings in Maninagar had collapsed -- are still free. This despite the fact that orders for their detention under Prevention of Anti-Social Activities (PASA) Act have been passed, but all that the police are willing to say is that they are ``doing their best''.

Ironically, Police Commissioner P C Pande had to transfer two inspectors who were reluctant to investigate the complaints. Second inspector of Navrangpura R L Chavda was trasferred to Shahpur while second inspector at Satellite police station A C Gadhvi, was transferred to Rakhial, but the malady is widespread. It seems to have affected all the police stations in the city.

At Ellisbridge, 15 cases were registered but the police had till Tuesday managed to arrest only one builder -- Vijay Solanki of Jashoda Park Apartment in Paldi. ``We are trying our best to find the builders in their hideouts but it's a difficult job,'' Inspector J J Patel of Ellisbridge police station said. In Navrangpura, eight cases were registered but those who built one building -- Yogesh Shah and Ghanshyam Patel of Parth Apartment -- were arrested.

The Maninagar police registered 13 cases last month but made arrests in only two cases. The cops say they have no clue to the whereabouts of Rakesh Shah and Nirav Shah, who built Utsav Apartment, Jalasmriti Apartment and Pujal Apartment which had all collapsed.

``We have information that Rakesh has fled to South Africa and have requested officials of Customs and Central Excise at Ahmedabad airport to confirm this. We have not yet received any reply,'' Senior Inspector of Maninagar police station A C Patel said.

No arrest has been made so far in any of the cases registered at Sola High Court, Shahpur, Naroda, Naranpura and Ghatlodia police stations.

``We are going slow in cases where casualty is less and are concentrating on arresting builders responsible for more deaths,'' said a senior police officer. Going by that logic, Shikhar Apartment builder Satish Shah should have been behind bars by now.

Assistant Commissioner of Police G L Singhal, who has been looking after Shaherkotda and Kalupur police stations, has been given additional charge ofthe Vejalpur and Satellite cases. Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Samiullah Ansari has been asked to supervise collection of samples.

``We are trying our best to track down the builders. As most of them are absconding, it takes time to get them,'' said Commissioner Pande.