ID :
113535
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 00:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/113535
The shortlink copeid
Caretaker, assistant in 14-day custody; WB CM talks tough
Kolkata, Mar 25 (PTI) The caretaker of the fire-
ravaged heritage building on Park Street and his assistant
were Thursday remanded in 14-day police custody as the blame
game intensified with West Bengal chief minister warning civic
officials of stern action over the 'racket' in illegal
constructions.
Tarun Bagadia, the caretaker of Stephen Court, and his
assistant Ramshankar Singh, arrested Wednesday on negligence
and other charges, were sent to police custody by a court of
the chief metropolitan magistrate.
Acting on a petition, the Calcutta High Court in
India's eastern metropolis granted interim stay on the
demolition of any portion of the 150-year-old Stephen Court.
Debraj Sharma and other residents of Stephen Court
submitted that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, in the name
of demolishing the two top floors of the building, was
destroying their property and not allowing them to enter.
The fire that broke out on Tuesday claimed 24 lives.
While Fire Services Minister Pratim Chatterjee put the number
of missing at 24, Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan
Chakraborty said 12-15 people were untraceable.
Facing public outrage over the absence of safety
norms, Chief Minister of the eastern state Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee accused the civic administration of being hand
in glove with the 'coterie' of illegal builders.
"The top floors of Stephen Court are illegal. We are
investigating what the KMC's role was at that time...The city
has a coterie of illegal builders with whom the administration
is involved. Exemplary punishment will be given. The fire has
taught the government to intervene in such situations
immediately," he said in the state assembly.
He went on to say that "a racket is working" in
connivance with a section of the administration.
Firemen continued search for the third day for those
missing after the fire in the building as a stench was coming
from the rubble on the upper floors.
"We can't rule out more bodies as debris is yet to
be cleared," a fire brigade official said.
The residents demanded that they be allowed into the
building, which was out of bounds for them, to collect their
valuables.
The police and KMC officials had a tough time in
facing the demonstrators, who included women with some lunging
at the officials.
"Save our houses. Don't demolish them," read one of
the posters of the demonstrators. PTI PB
KAB
ravaged heritage building on Park Street and his assistant
were Thursday remanded in 14-day police custody as the blame
game intensified with West Bengal chief minister warning civic
officials of stern action over the 'racket' in illegal
constructions.
Tarun Bagadia, the caretaker of Stephen Court, and his
assistant Ramshankar Singh, arrested Wednesday on negligence
and other charges, were sent to police custody by a court of
the chief metropolitan magistrate.
Acting on a petition, the Calcutta High Court in
India's eastern metropolis granted interim stay on the
demolition of any portion of the 150-year-old Stephen Court.
Debraj Sharma and other residents of Stephen Court
submitted that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, in the name
of demolishing the two top floors of the building, was
destroying their property and not allowing them to enter.
The fire that broke out on Tuesday claimed 24 lives.
While Fire Services Minister Pratim Chatterjee put the number
of missing at 24, Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan
Chakraborty said 12-15 people were untraceable.
Facing public outrage over the absence of safety
norms, Chief Minister of the eastern state Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee accused the civic administration of being hand
in glove with the 'coterie' of illegal builders.
"The top floors of Stephen Court are illegal. We are
investigating what the KMC's role was at that time...The city
has a coterie of illegal builders with whom the administration
is involved. Exemplary punishment will be given. The fire has
taught the government to intervene in such situations
immediately," he said in the state assembly.
He went on to say that "a racket is working" in
connivance with a section of the administration.
Firemen continued search for the third day for those
missing after the fire in the building as a stench was coming
from the rubble on the upper floors.
"We can't rule out more bodies as debris is yet to
be cleared," a fire brigade official said.
The residents demanded that they be allowed into the
building, which was out of bounds for them, to collect their
valuables.
The police and KMC officials had a tough time in
facing the demonstrators, who included women with some lunging
at the officials.
"Save our houses. Don't demolish them," read one of
the posters of the demonstrators. PTI PB
KAB
