Tarapith fire: Bengal cops nab main owner of Birbhum hotel

Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) The cops of Birbhum District Police in West Bengal, on Tuesday afternoon finally arrested Tapas Paul alias Probir, the main owner of Hotel Bideshini, where a major fire broke out on Monday morning killing nine people so far.

Earlier on Monday, the police arrested Probir’s son, Kalyan Paul, the co-owner of the hotel.

Till Monday evening eight people were reported killed in the fire mishap, out of whom five were from the same family from Meghalaya who came to Tarapith to offer Puja at the iconic Goddess Tara temple there.

On Monday night another person named Rajesh Sharma, a resident of Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district in North Bengal, who was under treatment at the local Rampurhat Government Medical College & Hospital, also died.

A total of seven people are currently under treatment at the said hospital.

Meanwhile, the investigators are currently conducting a though search operation at a pond adjacent to the hotel. Professional divers have been deployed for that purpose.

A district police officer said that there were 43 people, including residents, in the hotel at the time of Monday’s fire. Although 22 of them were initially rescued, 9 of them died in the hospital. Most of the rest have been found, but a few are still missing.

“In such a situation, investigators are trying to confirm whether any of the missing people jumped into the pond or whether any of their bodies are lying in the pond. We have taken professional divers to the scene this afternoon and a thorough search operation there is on,” said the district police officer.

The hotel is located at a stone’s throw distance from the Tarapith Police Station, adjacent to the iconic Tarapith Goddess Tara temple.

The fire broke out there on Monday morning. Initial investigation had revealed that the fire started from a short circuit. According to hotel sources, the fire spread quickly.

The hotel’s electricity connection got disconnected due to the fire, as a result, there were no directional signs to guide the people. Many people tried to get out through the front reception door, risking their lives and some died in that process.

Birbhum District Police had registered a suo motu case in the matter.

A district police insider said that the forensic team has already collected samples to check the overall security of the lodge. The police have also started their own investigation in the matter.

At the same time, the electrical and fire safety systems of other hotel accommodations in Tarapith will also be checked. In addition to electrical wiring, distribution boards, meters, earthing and permitted loads, fire extinguishers, hydrants, pumps, water tanks, hose reels, fire alarms, emergency lighting and smoke detection systems will be checked.

The exit routes, stairs and emergency exit paths for guests in case of danger will also be checked. It will also be verified whether the necessary clearances related to fire safety are available.

–IANS

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