The Kolkata police made their first arrest in connection with the Mirza Ghalib Street fire late Wednesday night, as the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services ordered the hotel building that caught fire to be immediately vacated and sealed due to inadequate fire safety measures.
The Detective Department arrested Abu Zafar, reported to be the leaseholder of the hotel Shikha Inn, where the blaze led to nine deathsearly Wednesday morning. Zafar, a resident of Jorasanko, was picked up from Entally Main Market.
The police have also detained two staff members for questioning: a manager and an employee from the neighbouring Japon Hotel. Both Shikha Inn and Japon Hotel are owned by Bireshwar Mitra, who remains missing while the police question his family regarding his whereabouts.
Following the incident, a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the disaster. The police registered a suo motu case involving charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash or negligent acts endangering human life, and violations under the West Bengal Fire Services Act.
Meanwhile, the divisional fire officer-in-charge for South Kolkata issued an emergency order directing all occupants to vacate 15G Mirza Ghalib Street within an hour, citing “imminent danger to persons and property”.
The order instructed the New Market police station to clear the premises before sealing the entire building to prevent further risk to life.
According to a statement by the Kolkata Police, two more victims were identified as Bangladeshi nationals: S M Alimuzzaman, 48, and Repoti Sarakar, 41.
This fire happened just two days after eight pilgrims were charred in another blaze at a hotel in Tarapith in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
