Court rejects builder''s bail application in lift crash case

Mumbai, Jan 13 (PTI) A local court today rejected thebail application of a city-based builder who is charged withcriminal negligence after a make-shift lift at a constructionsite crashed and six labourers were killed.

Applicant Ketan Shah is a partner in Success DevelopersPrivate Limited which jointly built the 22-storey La Sonrisabuilding in Matunga in central Mumbai where the mishapoccurred on January 10.

"The Vikhroli metropolitan magistrate''s court rejectedShah''s bail plea after the prosecution argued that amagistrate cannot grant bail as Shah is charged with seriousoffence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder'' ", saidShah''s lawyer Laxman Kanal.

Kanal had argued that as Shah was in judicial custody,police did not need him for interrogation any longer.

He said that a fresh bail application will be movedbefore sessions court now.

Meanwhile, the sessions court will hear the anticipatorybail applications of other accused -- Boman Irani, PercyChoudhari and Kaushik Shah of Rustomjee Developers and liftcontractors Chandresh Mehta and Bipin Singhania -- tomorrow.