Team Herald
MARGAO: Sessions Judge Edgar Fernandes who heard the infamous Ruby Residency case on Tuesday, posted the same for hearing arguments before framing charges on March 14.
There are 32 accused in the case including nine government officials who have been held responsible for the collapse of the five-storey building where 20 flats were under construction at Chaudi in Canacona on January 4, 2014 at around 2.05 noon.
Thirty-one persons who were either working at the site or relaxing were crushed to death as the building collapsed and the then government declared it a state tragedy with then chief minister Manohar Parrikar personally supervising the rescue operations.
The V K Jha commission set up by the government had observed that poor conceptual design, inherent faulty structural design and defective execution of work at the site, led to the collapse of the building and held nine government officials responsible for the tragedy.
It was also pointed out that the building had collapsed earlier on June 29, 2012 and blamed three police officials including one police inspector and one police sub-inspector for not acting quickly in the matter.
The government had filed a case against 32 people including Pradip Singh Birring and Jagdeep Kumar Sehgal, directors of Bharat Developers & Realtors, the firm constructing the building.
Incidentally, former minister Ramesh Tawadkar who contested the February 4 elections as an independent candidate lives in another wing of Ruby residency and his office is housed in the building next to the collapsed one.
