Lucknow Fire Tragedy: Police Arrest Four People; Building Where Fire Broke Out Was Illegal, Will Be Demolished
Fifteen people died in a fire at a building in Lucknow's Aliganj area. Police arrested four persons in connection with the case late Monday night.
Police said that the arrested persons have been identified as Ram Krishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, Tushar Krishna Jaiswal, and Suresh Kumar Sahu.
The fire tragedy deceased include five women and ten men; most were students aged between 20 and 30.
Building was illegal
The building where the fire broke out was illegal. An order for its demolition had been issued in 2016 but was subsequently revoked.
It is alleged that while the building was approved for residential use, it was being illegally utilized for commercial purposes.
Aliganj ACP Shashi Prakash Mishra told that the allegations are being investigated and appropriate action will be taken.
Police stated that the accused are the joint owners of the building. According to the police, an FIR has been registered at the Aliganj police station against six named persons and others under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Uttar Pradesh Fire and Emergency Services Act.
Building will be demolished: LDA
Prathamesh Kumar, Vice-Chairman of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), stated that a notice has been issued to the building owner, demanding a response within 15 days, after which the building will be demolished.
The building belongs to Virendra Shukla, the owner of the Rameshwaram Institute of Technology and Management. The police have registered a case of culpable homicide and arrested four individuals, including Shukla.
Additionally, the Uttar Pradesh government issued a statement announcing that four officials have been suspended with immediate effect following the Chief Minister's directives.