Lucknow fire: 4 officers suspended, 3 accused arrested; Officials intensified investigation

Lucknow: After the horrific fire incident in Aliganj, Lucknow, the administration has started taking immediate action. On the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, four officers have been immediately suspended on charges of negligence. The police have arrested three people in the case and have taken the main accused into custody.

Four officers were punished   

The government took immediate action after finding initial lapses in the investigation. Those suspended include Jankipuram Executive Engineer Gaurav Kumar, Indira Nagar Food Safety Officer Kamalendra Kumar Singh, Assistant Engineer Anil Kumar and Junior Engineer Pramod Pandey. Officials say that this action has been taken to determine possible negligence and accountability. Further action will be decided until the investigation is completed.

Three arrested, main accused in custody   

Aliganj Police has registered an FIR under the Indian Justice Code and Uttar Pradesh Fire Service Act. Six people have been named in the case. So far Ramakrishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla and Tushank Krishna Jaiswal have been arrested. According to sources, the main accused has also been taken into custody. Police say that this step has been taken on the basis of initial investigation and evidence. More arrests may be made as the investigation progresses.

Police broke the wall during rescue   

Policemen showed bravery in the rescue operation after the fire. When people were trapped inside the building, the policemen climbed onto the roof of the adjacent building and made a path by breaking the wall with a hammer. This helped the rescue team to reach inside and rescue the people safely. Photos from the scene showed officers working quickly in difficult circumstances.

Officials are examining the old files of the building   

Investigation has revealed that the 1,992 square feet property where the fire broke out was allotted through lottery in 1980. After this its ownership changed several times. In 2013, it was named after Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla. LDA had approved the plan of residential building here in 2014.

In 2016, LDA had ordered demolition alleging unauthorized construction, but the same order was withdrawn after the owners raised objection. Now after the accident, officials are again checking the map, construction and fire safety rules. The administration says that all aspects of the accident will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the culprits.