Goa collapse: Deputy town planner held; builders still missing

January 07, 2014 09:57

A senior town and country planning officer has been arrested in connection with the Canacona building collapse in Goa, which has left 17 dead and several others injured.

Deputy Town Planner Prakash Bandodkar was arrested on Monday night while Municipal Engineer Ajay Desai is still missing, Superintendent of Police Shekhar Prabhudesai said on Tuesday.

Goa Police has registered an FIR against several persons including government officers who were allegedly involved in clearing this controversial five-storey project comprising 80 flats.

Three directors -- Jaideep Saigal, Pradeepsingh Birring and Vishwas Desai--of a property firm (Bharat Realtors and Developers) which was constructing the structure have also been booked but they are still untraceable, police said.

Bandodkar was then the Deputy Town Planner of Canacona when the under-construction building was approved in 2010.

State Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had told reporters on Monday that the deputy town planner had sanctioned the building without referring the matter to higher-ups in Panaji, which is mandatory as per the law.

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