Overview
- An unfinished warehouse on Transport Depot Road in Taratala collapsed in late June, killing more than a dozen people and triggering a criminal probe into the construction and approvals.
- A Special Investigation Team has arrested Kalicharan Bandyopadhyay, the former Officer on Special Duty to ex‑mayor Firhad Hakim, and he remains in police custody under remand until early July.
- SIT teams searched Bandyopadhyay’s homes in Chetla and Howrah, seized two mobile phones and numerous documents, and are examining files to trace how the building plan was approved.
- Investigators also raided the developer’s offices, questioned a middleman who reportedly took payments to secure approvals, and say some key witnesses and company heads have not cooperated.
- The case has become politically charged as the BJP points to a plan bearing Hakim’s signature and the TMC splits over accountability, a dynamic that could shape further arrests and administrative changes.