Owner’s ‘partner’ held; not named in papers

Role of building owner being ascertained

The police on Saturday arrested the factory owner’s partner in connection to the collapse where seven people were killed in west Delhi’s Moti Nagar.

In the two-day-old incident, eight persons were injured, they said, adding that the factory collapse was triggered by furnace blast.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Monika Bhardwaj said owner Ankit Gupta’s partner and relative Sumit Gupta has been arrested.

Owner critical

Ankit who has been booked is critical, the police said.

Sumit was questioned on Friday and subsequently arrested based on the statements of the factory workers, said sources.

“There are no documents where he is named a partner in the factory but workers gave their statements wherein they stated that he was taking care of the work on the ground floor and also used to give salaries to the employees,” said a senior officer, adding that Sumit was not present in the factory at the time of the incident.

Once Ankit is fit, he will be interrogated at length to ascertain how he was running the factory and whether he was in possession of necessary documents, added sources. The police have also written to South Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation for a response asking the orders given, if any, in connection with the factory.

Sources said that they are yet to receive a response.

The role of building’s owner Anil Tyagi in connection with the condition of the building is being ascertained.

Tyagi had rented the floors to Ankit, sources added.

Case registered

The police had registered a case under Sections 304A (causing death due to negligence), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 288 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings) and 337 (causing hurt by Act endangering life) of the Indian Penal Code.