NEW DELHI, Oct. 27 -- The Delhi police on Wednesday invoked charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in northeast Delhi's Harsh Vihar building collapse case that killed two persons, a senior police officer said after HT reported a crucial one-hour delay by the owner in alerting emergency services.

Deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Rahool Alwal told HT that Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita had been added to the first information report (FIR), which previously pressed charges for causing death due to negligence.

Police said the main contractor who was building the structure is on the run. The building owner, Manoj Kumar, who allegedly locked the gate and fled after the collapse, was arrested.

Police said the...