Owner booked in Hatkoti building collapse

Shimla, Aug 19 (PTI) A case has been lodged against theowner of the five-story building which collapsed near Hatkotileaving two persons dead even as the NDRF has winded up therescue operation. "The operations were called off late in the evening afterit was ascertained that there was no survivors or dead body inthe ruble," SDM Rohroo YPS Verma said. Two bodies were recovered and five survivors were pulledout on Aug 17, the day of the incident, while the NDRF teamwhich joined the search yesterday morning. At the time of the incident, it was feared that there weremore than a dozen people in the building and a massive searchoperation was launched. A case against the owner of the building, Joginder Chajta,a former Panchayaat pradhan was registered under sections 336(Act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337(Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety ofothers) and 304-A (Causing death by negligence) of the IPC. The case was lodged on the complaint of Naveen Sharma, whoran a shop in the building and alleged that the structurecollapsed as it was not constructed in a proper manner. The local people have alleged that the building wasconstructed on encroached land without approval of buildingplan and the concerned authorities sanctioned water and powerconnections. PTI PCL MNG RTMNG