Former Basnayake Nilame Anura Lewke, the owner of the five-storey building on Sangamitta Mawatha in Buwelikada in Kandy which collapsed killing a family was arrested by the Kandy Police yesterday. He was remanded till October 13 after being produced in court.
Police have filed a case against the suspect on charges of causing the death of three persons due to negligence and carelessness, whilst causing damage to several houses.
Kandy SSP Sudath Masinghe said that despite the approval given for the construction of only three floors, the owner of the house had gone beyond the approved plans and built a five-storey building.
He added that the existing foundations revealed that the five-storey building was too heavy to support. Prior to filing the case against the suspect, the police had obtained reports regarding the building from a number of institutions including the Kandy Municipal Council, the Urban Development Authority, the National Building Research Institute, the Geology and Mines Bureau.
A five-storied building collapsed trapping five people, including an infant, in the early hours of September 20. The Army rescued two people, while a family and their infant died in the building collapse.