Chennai: High court asks for update on building collapse probe
Madras high court has directed authorities to file a progress report of the investigation into the incident before the court.
Chennai: Nearly three years after the 12-storied building collapsed in Moulivakkam, in which 61 persons died, the Madras high court has directed authorities to file a progress report of the investigation into the incident before the court.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G.Ramesh and Justice M. Sundar gave the directive while posting to first week of June, further hearing of a petition filed by DMK working president M.K.Stalin, which sought to transfer to CBI, the investigation in the case.
“It appears that the commission of inquiry, headed by a retired judge of the court, submitted a report and the same was placed on the floor of the Assembly and also said to have been approved pursuant to which, investigation is under process. However, senior counsel P.Wilson, appearing for the petitioner suggested that the matter may be referred to the CBI.”
“We are of the considered view that instead of referring the matter to some other agency, particularly when the matter has already been investigated/enquired into, we direct the authorities to file a progress report before this court and if any irregularity is found, the same can be directed to be looked into by the administrative authorities. It is open to the petitioner’s counsel to submit his remarks with respect to the lapses, if any”, the bench added.
When the case came up for hearing, senior counsel P.Wilson submitted that at least 300 workers from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu were buried alive in the incident and only a neutral probe would unravel the truth.
The investigating officer was shielding the accused. The investigating officer had held only the builder responsible and given clean chit to officials. If this type of investigation was to be continued the real culprits will escape, he added.
As for the one man commission report filed by Justice R.Regupathy, Wilson said the judge was holding four posts. When the issue was raked up in the high court, the bench too raised queries. The commission had in a hurried manner submitted the report on August 25, 2014, he added.