New Delhi: The investigation into the building collapse in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan has revealed that one of the labourers had allegedly warned the accused against breaking a load-bearing wall, saying it could compromise the structure and cause it to collapse.Police sources said the claim emerged during the investigation and is being verified. According to preliminary findings, the warning was allegedly given hours before the building collapsed when the labourer noticed the work being done at the property.“During the investigation, we found out that one of the plumbers had warned the accused hours before the incident not to break the wall as it could lead to a collapse. However, the warning was allegedly ignored. We are verifying the testimony and other details related to the sequence of events,” a police source said.Sources said the load-bearing wall was allegedly removed during the construction, which may have weakened the building and contributed to its collapse.During questioning, one of the PG operators, Sudhanshu Lovneesh (31), allegedly told investigators that he had asked Mahesh, the son of the building owner, about the construction and why was it being done. However, police are yet to find anything that would validate Sudhanshu’s claim.Investigators are questioning neighbours and others in the area to establish whether they had noticed the construction activity and whether any concerns were raised before the collapse. They are also reconstructing the sequence of the work carried out at the property and examining the roles of those involved.When asked about a letter purportedly sent by police to govt authorities seeking an inspection of PGs in Satya Niketan over the alleged lack of fire safety measures a few months back, a senior police officer said he was not aware of the specific communication.The officer added that such letters could also form part of routine correspondence sent by police to other departments. Meanwhile, the cops are raiding different areas to nab the PG operator’s associate.
