Kolkata hotel fire : Owner arrested after allegedly fleeing to Dhanbad
Days after a devastating fire at a Kolkata hotel claimed nine lives, police arrested its owner Bireswar Mitra on Saturday after tracking him down to his residence in Behala.
Mitra, who owns Shikha Inn in the New Market area, had allegedly left Kolkata for Dhanbad in Jharkhand shortly after the fire and remained out of contact with investigators, police said.
The blaze broke out at the hotel late Tuesday night, killing nine people, including seven Bangladeshi nationals.
According to police, hotel staff had informed Mitra about the fire, but he did not reach the spot. He briefly visited the site later before allegedly leaving the city in his car and taking shelter in Dhanbad, where some of his employees have residences.
He returned to his Diamond Harbour Road residence on Saturday, where police arrested him.
Investigators are questioning Mitra to determine why he left Kolkata after the fire and what role he may have played in the circumstances that preceded the tragedy.
Police suspect Mitra may have returned because of financial difficulties after two of his bank accounts were frozen following the incident.
Hotel under scanner
Investigators have raised questions over the hotel's compliance with fire safety regulations. Police said several rooms, each with attached bathrooms, had allegedly been constructed within an area of around 1,100 square feet.
Authorities are examining whether mandatory fire safety requirements were followed at the premises.
Police had been searching for Mitra since the incident and on Friday searched his other hotels in Digha and Mandarmani, but could not locate him there.
Investigators also found that Mitra had spoken to a hotel employee by phone in the early hours of Wednesday, after which his mobile phone was switched off.
More questioning, arrests
Police have questioned several hotel employees as part of the investigation. Two people, Umesh Singh and Jiten Singh, who had leased another portion of the fifth floor of the building from Mitra, have also been questioned.
Earlier, police arrested Abu Zafar, who had taken Shikha Inn on lease from Mitra for a monthly rent of Rs 40,000.
The investigation is continuing to establish how the fire started, whether safety norms were violated and the responsibility of those associated with the hotel.
(With inputs from PTI)
