Maintains CMC CO issued occupancy certificate certifying building was fit for occupation
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Three days after Canacona was hit by a tragic building collapse, the contractor Vishwas B Desai on Monday moved South Goa Sessions Court for anticipatory bail, contending that the building had received occupancy certificate from Canacona Municipal Chief Officer after TCP officials and Canacona Municipal engineer confirmed that work has been completed as per the approved plan after inspection of the site.
Hearing of the anticipatory bail plea will come up before Additional Sessions Judge Vincent D’Silva on Tuesday. The judge has directed the investigating officer to file a reply to the petition. Vishwas has prayed to the court to release him on bail in the event of his arrest with conditions and has petitioned for interim relief not to arrest him pending disposal of his application.
Vishwas contended that the police have deliberately registered an offence under section 304 of the IPC to arrest him in a non-bailable offence.
In the petition, Vishwas, who is proprietor of a firm called Coastal Builders, contended that the CMC Chief Officer had issued the occupancy certificate thereby certifying that the construction carried out by him is as per the specification and therefore the building was fit for occupation.
The petitioner pointed out that his workers numbering around 50 were working on the cosmetic finishing and cleaning of floors in order to hand over the same to Ms Bharat Developers, which had entered into an agreement with Coastal builders in 2007 for construction of the housing project named Ruby Residency. “In view of the agreement between his firm and M/s Bharat Developers, the petitioner had completed construction of two buildings, swimming pool, club house, etc under Phase-I and thereafter construction of two buildings under Phase-II and two building under Phase-III. In all, six buildings and 14 villas were completed as per construction licence and plans approved by the competent authority and that after obtaining occupancy certificates thereof, handed over them to the owner. That all the flats constructed by the petitioner have been sold and some purchased by doctors, advocates etc. The present Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar is residing in one of the buildings”, Vishwas said.
Submitting that the cement mixture used for RCC work was of ready-mix concrete obtained from a well-known manufacturer, he said he had made all efforts to remove the debris and save lives of labourers after the collapse by engaging earth moving machinery.
The petitioner pointed out that his workers numbering around 50 were working on the cosmetic finishing and cleaning of floors in order to hand over the same to Ms Bharat Developers, which had entered into an agreement with Coastal builders in 2007 for construction of the housing project named Ruby Residency
