HC seeks report on south Delhi fire

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Indian Air Force, the Delhi Police and the city civic authorities to file status report mentioning the expenditure incurred while dousing a massive fire that erupted in a rubber factory in south Delhi.

Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports on Malviya Nagar fire incident, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar asked the Delhi Police, the Delhi Fire Service and the Indian Air Force to file status report on the incident and listed the matter for further hearing on July 3.

The court asked the Delhi Police to submit report on the details of the property housing the rubber factory, its owner and how it managed a commercial licence in the residential area.

The court also said that time has come when criminal liability has to be taken and people, including the property owner responsible for the incident, must pay expenses incurred in such operations.

Despite repeated orders of the courts on illegal encroachment, no action has been taken by the authorities, it observed.

The fire, that broke out in the factory on Tuesday, also swept through and partially gutted an adjoining school building and a gymnasium. However no casualties were reported. The blaze was finally doused Wednesday morning, with an IAF Mi17V5 helicopter undertaking several sorties to spray water on it.

Later on Wednesday, the factory owner, Sanjay Saini was arrested. Police said that he didn't take the required permission from the MCD and there was no safety equipment installed in the warehouse.

--IANS

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