TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Saying that the Canacona building had collapsed because of engineering defects and designs and not because he had renewed the construction licences, arrested former Canacona Municipal Chief Officer, Pradip Naik on Friday told that Section 304 of the IPC doesn’t apply in his case.
Arguing before Special Judge Nutan Sardesai on behalf of the arrested former CMC Chief Officer, senior lawyer Adv Surendra Desai said the police could have applied section 304 of the IPC to the owner, developer and the structural engineer and not to his client. “At the most, the police could have invoked section 304-A of the IPC”, he said.
Saying that experts have attributed the building collapse to a weak foundation and structural defects, Adv Desai said his client cannot be held responsible for the weak foundation when he has only renewed the licenses. “There’s a structural engineer appointed to take care of the structural stability. The Town and Country Planning department is the principal authority in clearing the building permissions. If the TCP has gone wrong, why my client should be arrested”, he argued
Pointing accusing fingers at the investigating agency for fixing anyone and everyone in the case, Adv Desai said the Crime Branch is still relying on a case of presumption, adding that 40 days of investigation has not yet unearthed the names of persons involved in illegal gratification. “Pradip was not the Chief Officer when the license was issued. The site is ought to be inspected by the municipal engineer. I am just an administrative head”, he said.
