Pradip Kundalia, controversial builder who has played hide-and-seek with the law on various counts, has been sending feelers to the government, inviting it to the “negotiating table”, a minister in the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government alleged on Thursday.

The realtor has been involved in a long list of lapses, the latest being the fire that broke out in Kundalia Towers, on Shakespeare Sarani. The May 16 fire in the building erected by Kundalia resulted in the fire services department lodging a complaint against him with Shakespeare Sarani police station.

Fire services minister Pratim Chatterjee claimed on Thursday that he had received “over 100 phone calls” from several “influential people”, pleading on the realtor’s behalf.

“I have received calls from several quarters, including retired judges, asking me to negotiate with Kundalia. They asked me not to book him under non-bailable sections. But, I have told people pleading his case that he should surrender before the Shakespeare Sarani police,” Chatterjee said, while adding that he knew Kundalia and had nothing against him personally.

The minister first gave the impression that Kundalia had managed to remain at large as he had gone out of Calcutta, before adding: “The police commissioner tells me that Kundalia has secured bail till July 17.”

Breathing fire, the minister said: “I have called him (Kundalia) on his mobile phone, but he didn’t answer… I will ask the police commissioner again to get him arrested.” Chatterjee stated that chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee held the same opinion on the matter. The government is likely to move court on July 19, praying for rejection of the builder’s bail, the minister added.

Infamous for the Rajendra Road house collapse, the heat is now on Kundalia for the fire that broke out in the basement of Kundalia Towers on a Sunday morning. Though the fire department had cited short circuit as the cause of the blaze, the builder was held responsible for the lack of fire-fighting infrastructure in the building.

The fire escapes were found non-functional and all exits were barred. “Fire-fighting equipment in the building was grossly ineffective. The building driveway was so narrow that fire tenders couldn’t enter. Many lives would have been lost if the firemen and police had not taken prompt action,” the fire services minister claimed.

Chatterjee, however, conceded that his department would have to be faulted for issuing the no-objection certificate to such a building.