AAP claims that the arrested Manish Lakra had links with the BJP, while the latter has denied the allegations.
AAP claims that the arrested Manish Lakra had links with the BJP, while the latter has denied the allegations.
The owner of a four-storey building that was built two days ago in outer Delhi’s Mundka has been arrested by the Delhi Police. At least 27 people died and many others were injured,
Officials said the accused, identified as Manish Lakra, was handed over the property after the death of his father Baljit Lakra in 2015. The arrest led to a political standoff with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claiming Mr Lakra had links with the BJP, while the latter denied the allegations.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (External) Sameer Sharma said Mr Lakra was arrested after several raids in Delhi and Haryana. “We had received information that he has planned to go to Haridwar,” the DCP said.
Mr Sharma said Mr Lakra called his relatives to run away after realizing the fire was on. “Manish and his family escaped after getting down from the next building,” police said. The DCP said that the police are trying to trace Mr. Lakra’s family.
Mr Lakra reportedly told police that he had fled to a place in Haryana, where he borrowed money from a friend and got rid of his mobile phone before his arrest.
DCP Sharma said that the DVRs of the CCTV cameras have been sent to the Forensic Sciences Lab. “Once the forensic report comes, it will be clear whether the door leading to the terrace was accessible or not. If someone wants to reach you [Mr. Lakra’s] Be it the house or the terrace, they had to cross this door as it was like a private door,” the DCP said.
co-accused arrested
Earlier, the police had arrested co-accused Harish and Varun Goel, who were the owners of the CCTV company operating on three floors.
Police said the four-storey building was constructed by Mr. Lakra’s father Baljit Lakra in 2011-12 and later shifted to Manish after his father’s death in 2015.
A case has been registered at Mundka police station under sections of IPC including causing death by negligence, attempt to murder, party in criminal conspiracy, among others.
Delhi Fire Service officials had said that no NOC (No Objection Certificate) was issued for the property, while tenant verification and police clearance certificates were also not issued.
On Sunday, the DCP said that out of the 27 killed so far, only eight bodies had been identified and the rest were awaiting forensic reports of DNA samples.
political slugfest
Meanwhile, AAP tried to link Mr Lakra to the BJP by presenting photographs at a press conference and blamed the BJP for the fire. Senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said Mr Lakra can be seen wearing a BJP patka on several occasions and has been photographed with several BJP leaders. He displayed a photograph in which Mr. Lakra can be seen sitting in a car with Master Azad Singh, who has been a BJP councilor and mayor several times. Pathak said, “Last three times Mr. Singh is contesting Mundka assembly elections on a BJP ticket and is also the uncle of BJP MP Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma.”
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Mr Lakra was not a member of the BJP and never held any party post and targeted AAP for spreading lies. “At the time of elections many people support a political party and it does not mean that they are members or office-bearers of the party,” Mr. Kapoor said.
sealed building
The AAP also accused the BJP-run North Delhi Municipal Corporation of allowing a factory to run in the building despite the license being canceled in 2017 following complaints from locals. The party said industrial activities were going on in the premises located on the land where industrial activities were not allowed despite the Supreme Court monitoring committee sealing the building in 2018. Construction because of his ties with the BJP. AAP demands a thorough investigation into the matter and strictest action against the building owner and BJP leaders involved in the conspiracy. He said that in 2015, the BJP had also run its Mundka assembly campaign office from the building.
Mr Kapoor called Mr Pathak’s statement an open lie and said that the North DMC had never issued any factory or storage license to the building concerned. “In 2016 under the ‘Swayam Yojana’, the building owner had taken a factory license which was soon revoked by the northern DMC authorities,” he said.
The truth is that in 2019, the Delhi government’s liquor shop was opened in this building, after the complaint of which the monitoring committee constituted by the Supreme Court sealed the building. The owner of the building later approached the monitoring committee and removed the irregular shop, paid the fine etc. and sealed the building in 2020,” Mr. Kapoor said. He said that it is absolutely clear that this building did not have any license or permit from the North DMC. “It is the Delhi government that gives the answer as to how this building got such heavy electricity connection, fire NOC and the Delhi government liquor shop was opened in Laldora area,” Mr. Kapoor said.
Officials said Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire at the Mundka building, which would be completed within six weeks. The official said the district magistrate (west) will inquire into the lapses on the part of the departments and agencies concerned, recommend action against the erring officials and fix responsibility.