UP govt suspends four officials in connection with Lucknow Fire incident; Four accused arrested

Taking swift action after the tragic fire incident in Lucknow, which claimed the lives of 15 students, the police registered a case against six individuals and arrested four of them last night. Four officials from the Lucknow Development Authority, Fire Department, and Electricity Department have also been suspended following directives from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

In connection with the fire incident in Lucknow, Aliganj Police have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the BNS and the Uttar Pradesh Fire Service Act against six named accused and other responsible persons. The four arrested accused are Ramakrishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, Tushok Krishna Jaiswal, and Suresh Kumar Sahu.

Police have sealed the building in Aliganj that was affected by the fire incident in the state capital. Entry to the premises has been prohibited. Teams from the FSL forensic unit and the Fire Brigade will collect evidence from the site as part of the investigation. Following the devastating fire incident in Aliganj, Lucknow, old records and actions taken by the development authority concerning the building have come under serious scrutiny.

The building where the tragic fire broke out yesterday had been issued a demolition order in 2016 over unauthorized construction. However, the order was revoked in less than two months. Meanwhile, the state government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the fire incident. A special investigation team (SIT) was formed to investigate the incident, and its members will submit their report within seven days.

At least 15 people, mostly students aged 16 to 25, died in the tragic fire yesterday afternoon. The fire broke out at an animation coaching center operating above a shop in the Puraniya area of Aliganj, triggering panic among students. Nine students were injured and have been admitted to King George’s Medical University, KGMU, Lucknow. Most of the deaths were caused by suffocation.