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A magisterial inquiry ordered by the Delhi government has held the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) primarily responsible for the May 30 building collapse in Saket that claimed six lives, alleging that the civic body fabricated records to mislead investigators and conceal administrative lapses.
The report, submitted by the South district magistrate to the Delhi chief secretary, concluded that the tragedy could have been prevented and attributed the collapse to the MCD's failure to enforce building regulations and curb illegal construction.
According to the inquiry, the multi-storey commercial building near Saket Metro station collapsed because of unauthorised structural additions, including illegal third and fourth floors, along with inadequate regulatory oversight, media reports stated.
The report cleared other agencies, including the Delhi Police and the Delhi Jal Board, of responsibility, stating that the MCD failed to act on a complaint regarding illegal construction that was received on March 9.
It found no evidence of inspections, verification, demolition or any preventive measures being taken for more than two months after the complaint. The inquiry also noted that the illegal third and fourth floors were officially recorded only on May 27, although they had reportedly been constructed nearly three months before the collapse.
The report further alleged that MCD officials created false and fabricated documents after the incident, including a show-cause notice dated May 27 and a work-stop notice dated May 29, in an attempt to create the impression that action had already been initiated.
Rejecting the MCD's claim that excavation for an underground water tank caused the collapse, the inquiry said the explanation was unsupported by technical evidence and appeared to rely on assumptions rather than verified findings.
The report recommended that accountability be fixed for both field-level and supervisory officials. It also called for mandatory structural safety audits of old and unauthorised buildings, stricter enforcement of building regulations, multi-agency inspection teams, GIS-based mapping of vulnerable structures, digital monitoring of unsafe buildings, risk-based categorisation and the immediate demolition or evacuation of dangerous structures.