In what is turning out to be an elaborate joke, it has given to the police unauthenticated and unnumbered photocopies of documents relating to the pre-construction stage. Nothing about what the builders constructed, how the buildings were approved despite major violations and who gave the nod is available. The police is throwing up its hands.

The file of Shikhar Apartments, where 98 persons were killed, has just four sheets of paper. The file of Mansi Complex, in which 33 persons were killed, has nine papers. The files of Akshar Flats and Himgiri Apartments, too, are similarly thin.

Normally, the files should have observations made by assistant town planners at various stages of construction and the record of the follow-up action.

"I do not know what to do with these papers,'' said Assistant Commissioner of Police G L Singhal, who is supervising the investigation. Police Commissioner P C Pande said they would have to take action against officials if it was found that the records had been destroyed. "Let us wait for some more time. We may have to register cases under Section 201 of Indian Penal Code for destruction of evidence,'' Pande added.

AUDA Chief Executive Authority Bharat Rawal had claimed yesterday that they had handed over "complete, original files'' to the Collector who, in turn, had passed these on to the police. Today, Rawal said, "I cannot remember the contents of the files.''

The Mansi Complex file contains nine photocopies, all unnumbered and unauthenticated. Ostensibly, these are copies of the site plan, made some time in September 1991, along with a map of the floor plan, road-side elevation, terrace plan, column details, ground floor and hollow plinth plan and first floor and second floor plans. In addition, there is AUDA's permission for development.

Even these papers were seized by the police from assistant town planners R B Joshi and K S Gajjar who were interrogated yesterday. Both had been summoned by the police last Friday but stayed away for four days. AUDA said they were busy working.

The file of Shikhar Apartments has just four papers, including photocopies of maps of the site plan, floor plan and road-side elevation before the construction was initiated five years back. The same is the case with the files of Akshar Flats in Vasna, in which nine persons died, and Himgiri Apartments in Vastrapur, where 15 persons were killed.

In the case of Himgiri Apartments, the file tells the tale of how AUDA regularised a major violation of the approved building plan. There is a paper, signed by an assistant town planner, approving additional construction.

Initially, AUDA had given permission for construction of 12 flats to the builder, Chandravadan Modi. But Modi constructed six extra flats, plus four penthouses and a cellar. All this was approved. But there is nothing on record to indicate why this major violation was regularised.

Haren Pandya says an alert has been sounded at the airports and other exits and IDs of builders provided to immigration officials to prevent them from escaping. But few are happy with that. "It's like closing the stable door after the horses have fled,'' says Ramesh Jain of the collapsed Vrunda Vihar.

Police Commissioner P C Pande denies arrests are delayed. "You cannot just catch hold of someone as soon as a complaint is registered. You have to collect evidence and prepare a case before arresting him.'' "But while the cases were being prepared the builders not only shifted their families and bank accounts, they themselves managed to flee,'' says Deepak Babaria who heads the Ahmedabad City Earthquake Affected People's Association.

Naveen Modi, who lived in Giriraj Apartments where 26 died and whose builder Tulsidas Sanghvi is missing, sums up the public anger: "First they registered cases under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 120/B (criminal conspiracy), then they added 420 (cheating) and 467 (forgery). And when they went underground added PASA. You think it is great consolation for us?''

Other stories in the series
» Builders make getaway as police collect proof
» His building killed 100, he’s on the run, his files missing
» Buck-passing shatters survivors' hopes
» In Ahmedabad, crooks build dreams to let them crash
» Officials, professionals hand in glove with builders
» The politician is the builder's best friend here
» Builders were crooks, govt was an accomplice
» They built on quicksand of greed