On Monday, a five-storey under-construction building collapsed in the congested Garden Reach area of Kolkata, killing 10 people and leaving several injured. A day later, Kolkata Police arrested the building’s promoter Mohammad Wassi, who was booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 288 (negligent construction of building), 427 (mischief) and 34 (common intention).

According to sources, the builders did not have the required permission to construct five floors and poor quality material was used in its construction. Police have also arrested the land owner on whose property the building was being constructed.

“The deceased was identified as Abdul Rauf Nizami, also known as Sheru. He was a friend of the building’s promoter. His body was recovered from underneath the debris around Friday midnight. He had called his friends using his phone from underneath the debris soon after the building collapsed and had asked to be rescued,” said a senior police officer.

The construction of the five-storey building had been going on since December 2022 and it comprised 16 apartments.