Ghatkopar building collapse: Registration of hospital was cancelled 2 months ago

Renovations at Shitap Hospital, running from the ground floor of the housing society, allegedly caused the collapse. Pic/ Sameer Markande

The registration of Shitap Hospital, which operated out of the ground floor of the building and whose alleged unauthorised renovation was responsible for the cave-in, was ca­n­c­elled two months ago.

Dr Padmaja Keshkar, health officer of the BMC, said the registration was cancelled based on a request by Sunil Shitap, a local strongman with links to the Shiv Sena, who ran the nursing home with his wife, Swati. "We need to check if it's still seeing outpatients."

Keshkar doesn't know why the Shitaps had sought a cancellation of the regi­stration, but a resident of Siddhi Sai Cooperative Housing Society said the plan was to turn the facility into a restobar. "They were making illegal alterations to the building. They broke a pillar, which made the building crash. We tried to stop them, but they paid no need," said Ramchandani, husband of Geeta Ramchandani, 58, who sustained head injuries in the cave-in.

Shitap was arrested late last night for causing the collapse.

With inputs from Santosh Wagh