Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday booked the owner of the three-storey building in Lucknow that collapsed on Saturday, killing eight people. Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Amit Verma said a police team is investigating the matter and the accused will be arrested soon.


A senior police official said an FIR has been lodged against Rakesh Singhal, the owner of the Harmilap building in the Transport Nagar area. 


The building collapsed on Saturday evening killing eight people and injuring 28 others in the incident. The rescue operations continued for the second day on Sunday with rescuers from NDRF using JCB machines to remove the rubbel. 





So far, 35 people have been rescued, while the injured are being treated at the Lokbandhu Hospital, according to IANS.




Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Lok Bandhu Hospital here to meet those injured in the incident after returning from Ambedkar Nagar.


"Met the people injured in the unfortunate building collapse incident in Lucknow at Lokbandhu Shri Rajnarayan Joint Hospital today. Enquired about their well-being and gained information from the doctors about their treatment," he said in a post on X.






Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government formed a three-member committee on Sunday to probe the building collapse incident.


The FIR against Singhpal was lodged at the Sarojini Nagar police station here on the complaint of MK Singh, the police outpost in-charge at Transport Nagar, the officials said.


The accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).


According to the officials, the building had a motor workshop and warehouse on the ground floor, a medical godown on the first floor and a cutlery warehouse on the second floor. PTI CDN RPA