Virar Building Collapse: Crime Branch Steps In, Five Arrested After Tragic Incident

Palghar/Virar: The tragic collapse of the Ramabai building in Virar earlier this week, which claimed 17 innocent lives, has now taken a serious legal turn. The case, which was initially under local police investigation, has officially been handed over to Crime Branch Unit 3 to ensure a deeper and more specialized probe into the incident.

What began with the arrest of builder Nittal Gopinath Sane (48) has now widened to include the family members of the original landowner, highlighting the layers of responsibility and negligence surrounding this illegal construction.

Five Arrests in the Case

Alongside Sane, police have arrested Shubhangi Bhoir (38), Sandhya Patil (35), Surendra Bhoir (46), and Mangesh Patil (35) — daughters and son-in-law of the late landowner Parshuram Dalvi. The accused are alleged to have played a role in facilitating the illegal construction and ignoring repeated warnings about the unsafe structure.

All five have been booked and will be produced before the Vasai Sessions Court on Saturday. Their arrest underlines a growing effort by authorities to ensure accountability is not limited to developers alone but also extends to those who enabled and benefited from the construction.

Illegal Construction and Ignored Warnings

Investigators have revealed that between 2008 and 2011, landowner Dalvi entered into an agreement with developer Sane for the building’s construction. However, officials later confirmed that the structure was unauthorized.

In 2020, the municipal corporation issued a notice calling for urgent repairs, citing the weakening condition of the building. Despite this official red flag, no corrective action was taken by the builder or landowners. Residents continued living in an unsafe environment, unaware that the structure was on the brink of disaster.

On Tuesday, that fear became reality when the building collapsed, crushing families and leaving several others injured.

Focus of the Crime Branch Investigation

The Crime Branch inquiry will now dig into three main aspects:

• Negligence and accountability — Who knew about the risks, and why were residents allowed to stay?
• Role of the landowners — Whether Dalvi’s heirs had a financial or administrative role in maintaining the illegal building.
• Responsibility of the builder — Whether Sane deliberately bypassed construction norms, putting lives at risk.

Officials have emphasized that the probe will not only assign blame but also look at systemic loopholes that allow such unsafe and unauthorized constructions to mushroom.

Tragedy Sparks Questions on Safety Oversight

The Virar collapse has once again thrown light on the larger issue of unauthorized buildings in Mumbai’s extended suburbs. With rapid urbanization and rising housing demand, many residents fall prey to such projects, unaware of the dangers.

Activists and residents’ associations are demanding stricter checks, faster demolition of unsafe structures, and stronger accountability from municipal bodies to prevent such tragedies in the future.

For the families of the 17 victims, however, these measures come too late. Their loss is a grim reminder that negligence in urban planning can turn homes into death traps.

As the Crime Branch steps in, citizens are watching closely — hoping this time justice will not only punish the guilty but also set a precedent to safeguard lives in the future.