Bhiwandi, September 2, 2026: Nearly a month after the deadly collapse at Kohinoor Apartment in Bhandari Compound’s Gangaramwadi area, Bhiwandi police have made another significant breakthrough in the case with the arrest of a close aide of the absconding builder and landowner.
Danish Ejaz Ahmed Shaikh, who was allegedly closely associated with builder Bilal Abu Bakar Khan, surrendered before the Bhoiwada Police on Wednesday and was subsequently arrested.
Sheikh was produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody till September 8. Investigators are expected to question him about the construction and repair work carried out at the building, financial transactions and his alleged role in the circumstances leading to the collapse.
The tragedy occurred on the night of July 30, when a portion of the Kohinoor Apartment suddenly collapsed while repair work was reportedly underway.
The collapse claimed 10 lives, while three others sustained serious injuries. The incident triggered questions over the condition of the building, the nature of the repair work and alleged unauthorised construction.
Resident Was Arrested Earlier
Following the incident, Bhoiwada Police registered a case on July 31 against landowner and builder Bilal Abu Bakar Khan and contractor Ashok Paswan, who was himself killed in the collapse.
During the investigation, police allegedly found the involvement of 49-year-old resident Amritlal Nishad. According to the police, Nishad had collected money from residents for repair work and had assigned the work to contractor Ashok Paswan. Police subsequently arrested Nishad in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, Bilal Khan and Danish Sheikh remained unavailable to investigators. Police teams had reportedly been conducting searches at their suspected locations for several weeks.
Police Probe Turns Focus On Repairs
On Wednesday morning, Danish Ejaz Ahmed Shaikh appeared at Bhoiwada Police Station and surrendered before the police. He was subsequently arrested and produced before the court, which remanded him to police custody.
Senior Police Inspector Vikram Mohite confirmed that police teams had been searching for both Sheikh and builder Bilal Abu Bakar Khan, who have been under the scanner in connection with the building collapse.
With Sheikh now in custody, investigators are expected to question him about his alleged involvement in the construction and repair work carried out at the Kohinoor Apartment.
Police are likely to probe who authorised the repair work, how the funds were collected and utilised, who assigned the work to the contractor and whether mandatory safety precautions and permissions were followed before the repairs began.
His questioning could also help investigators piece together the sequence of events leading up to the collapse and establish the roles of those involved.
Builder Still Absconding
While the arrest of Danish Shaikh is being viewed as an important development, builder and landowner Bilal Abu Bakar Khan continues to remain at large. Police teams are searching for him and his arrest could prove crucial to establishing the sequence of events that led to the fatal collapse.
The case has also brought renewed scrutiny on alleged unauthorised construction and regulatory lapses surrounding the building. Questions have been raised over whether the structure had undergone unauthorised alterations, whether the repair work had the necessary permissions and whether safety norms were being followed during the work.
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More importantly, investigators will have to establish whether any complaints or violations had been brought to the notice of the civic authorities and, if so, why timely action was not taken.
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