Noida fire victims: Manager on first day of her job, man who came in for a haircut
Noida Police Friday registered an FIR against the spa’s owner and manager and are on the lookout for the duo.
Radha Chauhan (26) Radha Chauhan (26) was excited — she had just landed a job as manager of a spa centre in Noida and Thursday was her first day at work. That evening, a short circuit at the spa-salon led to a fire and she, along with a man who was there for a haircut, suffocated to death.
Noida Police Friday registered an FIR against the spa’s owner and manager and are on the lookout for the duo. Police said the place was not following fire safety rules — there was no fire exit or extinguisher on the premises.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Radha’s husband Pradeep Chaudhary said she was ambitious and career oriented. “Radha was very excited to be a manager. I dropped her at work around 10-10.30 am. We were planning to celebrate her new job in the evening. Our four-year-old son has been crying all night, asking when his mother will come home. What am I going to tell him? I can’t believe she is gone.” The couple lived at Roja Jalalpur, Noida.
The second victim, Ankush Anand (29), a resident of Sector 135 in Greater Noida, had gone to the spa for a haircut. “My brother went to cut his hair as he had a meeting on Friday. He left home around 3 pm and said he would be back soon. We later got a call from the police about the fire… He was a businessman with big dreams,” said his sister.
The second victim, Ankush Anand (29), a resident of Sector 135 in Greater Noida, had gone to the spa for a haircut.
The incident took place on Thursday between 5.30 pm and 6 pm at Ashirwad Complex in Sector 53 market. The building has four floors and the establishment is located on the upper floor.
ACP Rajneesh Verma said, “An FIR has been registered against the owner and manager under IPC Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The spa had been closed for more than a year due to Covid. With restrictions being eased, the management reopened a few days ago. They were in the process of cleaning it on Thursday when the fire broke out.”
Police received a call about the fire at 6 pm. “We informed fire services and rushed to the spot. The blaze had spread in the entire room by the time we arrived. The police and fire department teams had to break the door to douse the fire. It was controlled after some time,” said a police officer.
Police said the doors got jammed and the two victims could not escape. “An autopsy showed that they died due to asphyxia. The bodies have been handed over to the families for final rites,” said ACP Verma.
Verma said two special investigation teams, comprising nine personnel, have been formed to arrest the owner and manager. “We have traced the owner’s location to Hyderabad and a team has been sent to arrest him. The centre is on lease under his name. The manager was present at the spot when the incident took place, but he escaped after the fire broke out. The other team is raiding his house in Noida.”
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