Mumbra building crash: Civic officer files discharge plea

A senior Thane civic official, an accused in the 2013 Mumbra building collapse case in which 74 people were killed here, today filed a discharge petition, while the Special Public Prosecutor urged the trial court to expedite framing of charges.
Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hirey requested trial Judge V V Virkar to frame charges against the accused at the earliest and cited a Bombay High Court order calling for concluding the trial in 18 months' time.
The Judge, after hearing the submission and perusal of documents submitted by the prosecutor, fixed July 21 for next hearing.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner Srikant Sarmokdam, one of the accused who is currently on bail, moved a discharge application in the court through his counsel.

In the plea, Sarmokdam has argued he had no connection with the building that crashed on April 4, 2013. The civic officer said he was transferred before the under-construction multi-storeyed structure caved in.
There are 27 accused in the case, of whom 25 have been arrested while two are still at large. Of the 25 arrested, 24 are on bail. Among the accused are nearly a dozen civic officials and the two builders who constructed the structure.
The accused have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, among others.