The preliminary investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to probe Sunday’s devastating fire in Aliganj that claimed the lives of 15 students, has revealed several irregularities and serious deficiencies in safety measures at the building.
The investigation has also found that the ill-fated structure was allegedly illegal. A demolition order had been issued against the building in 2016, but it was subsequently rescinded. The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) was reportedly considering fresh action to demolish the building.
The SIT and a forensic team reached the site at around 11 a.m. on Tuesday to investigate the incident. The teams inspected the building and later interacted with the injured victims and other individuals who worked there. The SIT comprises IPS officer Praveen Kumar and IAS officer Amrit Abhijat.
LDA Vice-Chairman Prathamesh Kumar said, “A notice has been issued to the building owner, seeking a reply within 15 days, after which the building will be demolished.”
The building belongs to Virendra Shukla, owner of Rameswaram Institute of Technology and Management College. Police have registered a case of culpable homicide and arrested four persons, including Virendra Shukla. Six LDA officials have been suspended, while action may also be initiated against 14 other officials.
The SIT, formed to investigate the fire tragedy, visited the medical college and interacted with the injured victims. SIT member and IAS officer Amrit Abhijat said, “We have inspected the site. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and other agencies will now carry out their examination, and only after that will we be able to arrive at a definitive conclusion. We have spoken to the injured and gathered information about the nature of their work, the safety precautions in place, and the sequence of events leading to the incident. All these findings will be included in our report. Everyone connected with the case will be questioned.”
He added that preliminary findings indicate the building lacked adequate fire safety and disaster-management measures.
Another SIT member, ADG Praveen Kumar, said, “As directed, we are examining all aspects of the case. A comprehensive investigation, including detailed questioning of individuals from various government departments and private entities, will help us ascertain the facts. We will also explore measures to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The SIT questioned the injured victims and their family members for nearly one-and-a-half hours at the KGMU Trauma Centre. Amrit Abhijat said, “The inquiry focused on safety standards in the building and sought to determine how the accident occurred. The role of various departments is also under investigation.”
ADG Praveen Kumar reiterated that the SIT is conducting a thorough probe into all aspects of the tragedy. “Those responsible will be identified and appropriate action will be taken against them,” he said.
Meanwhile, post-mortem examinations of all 15 victims were completed after nearly seven hours, following which the bodies were handed over to their families. The cremation of almost all the victims was carried out in Lucknow on Tuesday.