By Sarah Hannan
The owner of the building that collapsed in September in Buwelikada, Kandy, killing three from the same family, was released on bail by the Kandy Magistrate’s Court, The Morning learnt.
The owner of the collapsed building, former Dodanwala Natha Dewalaya Basnayake Nilame Anura Lewke, was released on bail on Tuesday (1), after a motion presented by Anura Megagoda PC, Attorney-at-Law Madhawi Lewke, and Attorney-at-Law Saman Thanthirige was taken into consideration by Kandy Magistrate’s Court Judge N.U. Gunewardena.
Lewke was released under bail terms and was charged Rs. 25,000 cash bail and two surety bails of Rs. 500,000 each.
Lewke was held in custody under the charges of negligence that resulted in the death of two adults and a newborn, damaging property to the residence in the vicinity, and endangering their lives after constructing a five-storey building that did not comply with the council building regulations.
It was on 20 September that the building collapsed when the load-bearing columns had given way and the entire structure had collapsed, causing an earth slip as the area was receiving continuous heavy rains overnight.
Two women were rescued from the wreckage while the newborn who was rescued had succumbed to the injuries after being admitted to the Kandy National Hospital. The parents’ bodies were recovered later during the day.
It was later found that Lewke and his family had evacuated their house after a neighbour had alerted them about the cracks that were appearing beneath their structure and when the earth started to slip, hours before the entire building had collapsed on the building located below.
Investigations into the incident were carried out by a team of officials from the National Building Research Organisation (NRBO), the Kandy District Disaster Management Co-ordination Unit (DDMCU), the Kandy Municipal Council, and the Kandy Police.
The Kandy DDMCU later estimated that a sum of Rs. 2.8 million would be required to clear the wreckage.
Lewke was taken into custody on 29 September by the Kandy Police.
The owner of the collapsed building, former Dodanwala Natha Dewalaya Basnayake Nilame Anura Lewke, was released on bail on Tuesday (1), after a motion presented by Anura Megagoda PC, Attorney-at-Law Madhawi Lewke, and Attorney-at-Law Saman Thanthirige was taken into consideration by Kandy Magistrate’s Court Judge N.U. Gunewardena.
Lewke was released under bail terms and was charged Rs. 25,000 cash bail and two surety bails of Rs. 500,000 each.
Lewke was held in custody under the charges of negligence that resulted in the death of two adults and a newborn, damaging property to the residence in the vicinity, and endangering their lives after constructing a five-storey building that did not comply with the council building regulations.
It was on 20 September that the building collapsed when the load-bearing columns had given way and the entire structure had collapsed, causing an earth slip as the area was receiving continuous heavy rains overnight.
Two women were rescued from the wreckage while the newborn who was rescued had succumbed to the injuries after being admitted to the Kandy National Hospital. The parents’ bodies were recovered later during the day.
It was later found that Lewke and his family had evacuated their house after a neighbour had alerted them about the cracks that were appearing beneath their structure and when the earth started to slip, hours before the entire building had collapsed on the building located below.
Investigations into the incident were carried out by a team of officials from the National Building Research Organisation (NRBO), the Kandy District Disaster Management Co-ordination Unit (DDMCU), the Kandy Municipal Council, and the Kandy Police.
The Kandy DDMCU later estimated that a sum of Rs. 2.8 million would be required to clear the wreckage.
Lewke was taken into custody on 29 September by the Kandy Police.