Following the collapse of an under-construction building in Hyderabad on Thursday night, in which eleven people were killed and two people were rescued alive, more details about the builder have begun to emerge.
Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao, who visited the site on Friday, announced the suspension of a deputy commissioner of GHMC and an assistant town planning officer.
He said the builder Satyanarayana Singh had no permission for construction and severe action would be taken against him and other authorities concerned.
Police also booked a case against Satyanarayana, who is absconding.
GHMC officials said the G+6 storey building was being constructed in violation of all norms.
The building had come up on just 270 square yards. Officials said the builder was also constructing a penthouse.
According to a report in the Times of India, Satyanarayana began his career as a small time arrack seller and made big money when the area, close to Gachibowli, became an IT hub 16 years ago.
The report states that he was locally known as Gudumba Singh, and also had been arrested several times for illegal arrack trade, but since then, his family now holds substantial land and is involved in many real estate deals.
Reports also suggest that he tried to enter politics.
On Friday, a photo started doing the rounds on social media of State Transport Minister Mahender Reddy and one of Satyanarayana’s son.
(The photograph doing the rounds. Image: Twitter/Sushil Rao)
It was reported that one of the builder’s sons wanted to contest on a TRS ticket, but was denied the same. However, the builders still used to reportedly flaunt their political connections.
“Whenever a GHMC official visited the site, Singh used to frighten him. He was threatening to file a complaint with the ACB. Construction has been going on for five months,” Deccan Chronicle quoted a source as saying.
The Minister on his part has denied all allegations.
“I have been in politics for a long time, and people keep taking photographs with me. I have no relation with this person and I don’t even know who he is,” he told a local Telugu channel.