Virar Building Collapse: Amateur Planning and Substandard Materials Led to Tragedy
The four-storied Ramabai Apartment in Virar, which collapsed in August 2025, killing 17 people, was planned by an amateur landowner and constructed using substandard materials. The chargesheet filed by the MBVV police reveals the negligence and lack of proper planning that led to the disaster.
Building CollapseSubstandard ConstructionVirarMbvv PoliceVvcmcReal Estate MumbaiNov 09, 2025
After the building’s collapse, the Virar police registered a case against the contractor, Nital Sane, and the landowner, Parshuram Dalvi, who had passed away by then. Sane was found guilty and is currently in jail. The chargesheet includes statements from 115 people, including a few experts, revealing that Sane and Dalvi had not employed an architect and had converted already constructed 1-BHK apartments into 2-BHKs without any expert advice, which were then sold to buyers.
To establish that the building plan was drawn up by an amateur, the crime branch asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to draw the final plan of the collapsed building based on the revelations of Sane, who provided the floorplan. “The structure was 12 years old, but after examining the plan, we found that it was not even strong enough to stand for two years,” said a PWD officer. The officer further explained that the structure was not built in the ‘legally correct way’. “We have asked the police to hire a structural engineer and a design engineer to record the exact faults in the structure; however, in our opinion, the foundation dimension and scale design were not consistent with the structure’s height,” the PWD officer added. “Moreover, there was just a three-meter gap between the foundations of the two buildings, resulting in uneven settlement, which led to the collapse of one entire part of the building.”
The crime branch officers noted that the building was constructed in 2012, but a structural audit was only conducted by the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) in 2018. The then assistant commissioner, Subhash Jadhav, found the building to be unauthorized but only issued a notice to Dalvi and Sane without registering an FIR or evicting the residents and demolishing the structure. In 2025, the current assistant commissioner, Gilson Gonsalves, also conducted an audit but did not take action. “He issued a repair notice without demolishing the building when it was dangerous. Therefore, the names of both Gonsalves and Jadhav have been added to the chargesheet,” said a crime branch officer. Both officers, citing health reasons, did not turn up to record their statements on Saturday.
The police also recorded the statements of former executive engineer Rajendra Lad and deputy engineer Eknath Thackeray, who were asked why a water connection was provided and house tax imposed on an unauthorized building. “Both said that the municipal corporation had earlier decided to provide water connections to unauthorized constructions and impose house tax,” said the crime branch officer. “They also mentioned that only the assistant commissioner had the authority to take action against unauthorized buildings and that they were just following orders.”
While VVCMC authorities claimed that both Gonsalves and Jadhav had acted legally according to the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949, by sending notices, they admitted that the building was categorized as C2B (dilapidated but habitable) in February 2025. The builder and owner of the plot were supposed to carry out repairs, but this was not done due to an internal dispute between the builder and the residents. “The residents were given notice to evict but refused outright. There are more than 300 FIRs registered by us against various builders in Vasai-Virar based on structural audits. However, we have to wait for a court order to evict residents or demolish a building,” said a VVCMC officer.
The crime branch officer stated that they had written to the Enforcement Directorate and the income-tax department to scrutinize the financial records of both officials, after which a supplementary chargesheet will be submitted against Gonsalves, Jadhav, and other officials involved. “There will be more names added to the supplementary chargesheet,” the officer added.
Anil Jovil, who lost three members of his family in the collapse, said that Dalvi and Sane had ‘played with the lives of the residents by constructing houses which were no stronger than mud houses on top of each other’. “The residents kept insisting on repairs but Sane ignored them,” he said. “The VVCMC officials are equally responsible for the deaths of my son, daughter-in-law, and one-year-old granddaughter as they turned a blind eye to the illegal construction and then did not ensure that it was repaired.”
Social activist Dinesh Kamble, who has been fighting for the rights of the injured and families of the deceased, said, “We will now request the Chief Minister to consider the rights of the residents of Ramabai Apartment in case of cluster development at the same spot in the future.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What led to the collapse of the Ramabai Apartment in Virar?
The collapse of the Ramabai Apartment in Virar was caused by substandard construction materials and the lack of proper planning. The building was constructed by the landowner and a labor contractor without any technical advice or the involvement of an architect.
Who was held responsible for the building collapse?
The labor contractor, Nital Sane, and the landowner, Parshuram Dalvi (who had passed away by then), were initially held responsible. Assistant commissioners Subhash Jadhav and Gilson Gonsalves were later added to the chargesheet for failing to take appropriate action despite knowing the building was unauthorized and dangerous.
What did the PWD department find about the building's structure?
The PWD department found that the building was not strong enough to stand for two years, despite being 12 years old. The foundation dimensions and scale design were not consistent with the structure’s height, and there was a three-meter gap between the foundations of the two buildings, leading to uneven settlement.
Why were water connections and house tax imposed on an unauthorized building?
According to the VVCMC, the municipal corporation had previously decided to provide water connections and impose house tax on unauthorized constructions. The former executive engineer and deputy engineer stated that they were following orders and that only the assistant commissioner had the authority to take action against unauthorized buildings.
What actions are being taken to ensure justice for the victims?
The crime branch has written to the Enforcement Directorate and the income-tax department to scrutinize the financial records of the officials involved. A supplementary chargesheet will be submitted against these officials. Additionally, social activists are requesting the Chief Minister to consider the rights of the residents in future development plans.
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