West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will make a detailed statement in the Assembly on Thursday on the Taratala warehouse roof collapse, which killed nine people and injured nearly 24 others in Kolkata.
The statement will address allegations that owner Sambhunath Behra built the warehouse illegally in collusion with former members of the Trinamool Congress-led Kolkata Municipal Corporation board.
Kolkata Police took Behra into custody early on Thursday morning.
Authorities have arrested five people in connection with the incident.
The accused include Gulzar Hossain (supervisor of Ayan Traders), Kamal Samanta (iron structure manufacturer), Sambhunath Behra (land leaseholder), Dibarak Bhandari (labour supplier and Trimex contractor), and Abdul Hamid (linked to approval of construction plans at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation).
A Port Trust workers’ union affiliated with CITU had earlier raised safety concerns about the under-construction warehouse on Kolkata Port Trust land.
In a letter dated 11 June, it alerted authorities about alleged irregularities.
Reports also link Asgar, a dock-area figure, to the alleged illegal construction, while port trust officials maintain that civic authorities approved the project and that compliance oversight rests with them.
NDRF and SDRF teams continue rescue operations in Kolkata’s Taratala area after the roof collapse, as search efforts continue for those still trapped.
Officials say three to four people remain feared trapped under the debris, while a hydraulic crane is being used to clear the structure.
Rescue teams have rescued 29 people from the site so far.
Nine people have died, and 24 injured workers are receiving treatment at SSKM Hospital, with two in critical condition.
Following the incident, the Chief Minister has suspended all under-construction commercial projects under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation until 31 July.
Work will resume from 1 August only after inspections and reviews.
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