The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Media reports misguiding: Bidari

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Monday, Oct 27, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Media reports misguiding: Bidari

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: A day after Upa Lokayukta G. Patri Basavana Goud took to task the police and civic authorities regarding the collapse of the 15-storeyed “C” Tower at the Prestige Shantiniketan Complex in Whitefield, Police Commissioner Shankar M. Bidari on Sunday said that the police were “acting promptly and diligently without any fear or favour.”

Mr. Bidari told reporters here that the police have acted in accordance with the provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure. “There is no failure on the part of police… But reports appearing in a section of media have misguided certain authorities about our work. We will place the facts before them and the public,” Mr. Bidari said.

On Saturday, Mr. Goud ordered an inquiry into the collapse and said the officials of the Police Department, the Labour Department, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and the Bangalore Development Authority were guilty of “serious dereliction of duty.”

The police have sent the samples of the debris to Karnataka Engineers Research Centre at Krishnaraja Sagar for examination. They have also sought the assistance of Bangalore University’s Civil Engineering Department.

Debris is being cleared, the Police Commissioner said.

Mr. Bidari said four workers, Srinivas (25) of Bagepalli, M.P. Singh (41) of Bihar, Dasharath Kumar (20) of Bihar and Damodara Mallik (28) of Orissa, were injured during the collapse. He denied reports that the police were prevented from taking the statements of the injured.

The Kadugodi police registered the case and arrested six persons, including Irfaan Razzak, chairman of Prestige Group.

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