TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: Police arrested Canacona Deputy Collector and Chief Officer Prashant Shirodkar in connection with the Canacona building tragedy, which has left 34 people dead.
According to Canacona PI Harischandra Madkaikar, Shirodkar was arrested late Monday evening and the same Sections that were applied to the builders and others have also been applied to Shirodkar.
It is learnt that Sections 304, 120 (b) and Anti-Corruption charges have been slapped on Shirodkar, who is also holding the charge as chief officer of Canacona Municipal Council ever since the last regular chief officer Pradeep Naik was transferred on promotion a few months ago.
Incidentally, rumours were afloat since Monday afternoon that Shirodkar ~ who reportedly signed the fraudulently issued ‘Occupancy Certificate’ to the collapsed Ruby Residency building ~ was earlier reportedly grilled by ACB sleuths.
Sources informed that authorities were contemplating arrest of Shirodkar on the third day of the incident itself, when two municipal engineers and a deputy town planner were suspended, and the latter one arrested by Ponda police and handed over to Canacona police.
The suspension and arrest of Shirodkar was reportedly delayed, as the accused in his capacity as deputy collector was also the active member of Disaster Management Team under the Collector (acting) Venancio Furtado overseeing the search and rescue operations at the site.
The authorities finally acted and arrested Shirodkar late Monday evening. However, it is not understood, if any suspension order was issued by authorities before Shirodkar was arrested.
It is learnt that Shirodkar is accused of conniving with his municipal engineer and the contractor/builders for fraudulently issuing the
‘Occupancy Certificate’ that too on a NOC/approval granted by the then deputy town planner, Canacona, Prakash Bandodkar, six months ago, that is before Bandodkar was transferred out of Canacona.
This is the second arrest of a government officer after deputy town planner Bandodkar was arrested last week. One former municipal engineer has obtained anticipatory bail, while another suspended current municipal engineer is reportedly absconding.
