Lucknow Hotel Fire: CM Yogi Adityanath Suspends 15 Officials Over Negligence

The action was initiated after a report was submitted by a two-member panel probing the matter including Lucknow Police Commissioner S B Shiradkar and Commissioner (Lucknow Division) Roshan Jacob. 

A police person outside a hotel sealed by Lucknow Development Authority over non-compliance of construction norms, at Charbagh area in Lucknow ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath suspended 15 officials of UP Fire Services for their negligence that led to the tragedy that took place at a hotel in Lucknow claiming four lives, reported news agency ANI. Action will also be taken against four retired officials for their negligence and irregularities, reported the news agency. 

"These instructions have been given by the Chief Minister after receiving the inquiry report of Police Commissioner Lucknow and Divisional Commissioner Lucknow regarding the fire accident," said the State Government Spokesperson. 

The action against the officials was initiated after a report was submitted by a two-member panel probing the matter including Lucknow Police Commissioner S B Shiradkar and Commissioner (Lucknow Division) Roshan Jacob. 

The spokesperson said that according to the instructions of the Chief Minister, departmental action will be instituted against the officers of the Home Department, Energy Department, Appointment Department, Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and Excise Department by suspending them. Action will be taken against the retired officers in light of the prevailing rules of the departments concerned. 

"The concerned departments have been directed to suspend the officials and to institute departmental proceedings and take action against retired officers as per rules in the light of the prevailing rules," the official statement reads.

Among the officials suspended from Home Department include Sushil Yadav (fire officer), Yogendra Prasad (fire officer-second), Vijay Kumar Singh (Chief Fire Officer) and action would also be taken against retired chief fire officer Abhaynath Pandey.

Three officers have been suspended from the energy department which include Vijay Kumar Rao, Assistant Director (Electrical Safety); Ashish Kumar Mishra (Junior Engineer) and Rajesh Kumar Mishra (Sub-Divisional Officer). 

Mahendra Kumar Mishra, who was then posted with the LDA, has also been put under suspension from the appointments department. 

Among other LDA officers who are suspended are the then assistant engineer Rakesh Mohan, junior engineer Jitendra Nath Dubey, junior engineer Ravindra Kumar Srivastava, junior engineer Jaiveer Singh, and another officer Ram Pratap.

The action has also been initiated against retired executive engineer Arun Kumar Singh, retired executive engineer Om Prakash Mishra and retired junior engineer Ganeshi Dutt Singh of the LDA department. 

From the Excise Department, action has been ordered against then Lucknow district excise officer Santosh Kumar Tiwari, excise inspector sector-1 in Lucknow Amit Kumar Srivastava and deputy excise commissioner of Lucknow Division Jainendra Upadhyay.