Lucknow fire building faced demolition order in 2016, records reveal

The three-storey commercial building in Lucknow's Aliganj area where a devastating fire killed 15 people on Monday had a history of ownership changes and had once faced demolition proceedings over alleged unauthorised construction, official records show.

The revelation after the blaze ripped through the building on Usha Mehta Marg, trapping students at an animation centre and leaving 15 people dead and several others injured.

According to records, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) had initiated legal action against the building in 2016 over alleged unauthorised construction and even passed a demolition order before subsequently revoking it.

DEMOLITION ORDER PASSED, LATER WITHDRAWN

The building, located in Sector D of the Aliganj scheme, stands on a 1,992-square-foot plot. A residential building plan for the property was approved on August 20, 2014.

However, in 2016, the development authority filed a case alleging unauthorised construction at the site. Following hearings, the designated authority issued a demolition order on May 10, 2016.

The owners later challenged the order, claiming they had not been given a proper hearing and arguing that the structure had been constructed in accordance with the approved plan. Following their objections, the demolition order was cancelled on July 5, 2016.

BUILDING CHANGED OWNERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES

Official records show that the property, identified as Building No. MS/102/D in Aliganj Sector D, was originally allotted through a lottery in 1980.

In 2005, the property was transferred through a sale deed to Vijay Kumar and Usha. Eight years later, in 2013, it was sold to Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla.

Following the transaction, the LDA formally mutated the property in the names of the new owners on August 7, 2014.

The disclosures come as investigators examine whether violations of building norms and fire safety regulations contributed to the scale of the tragedy.

Preliminary findings suggest the fire may have originated in an air-conditioning duct, while dense smoke spread rapidly through the building. Authorities suspect the absence of an adequate emergency exit route may have trapped many of the victims on the upper floors.

Urban Development and Energy Minister A K Sharma said all aspects of the incident, including possible lapses in building standards, would be thoroughly investigated and strict action taken against those responsible.

The fire broke out around 3 pm on Monday in the building, which housed an animation training centre on the upper floors and a pet shop and clinic on the lower levels.

A massive rescue operation involving 19 fire tenders, NDRF, SDRF and civil defence teams was launched. Rescue personnel had to drill openings through adjoining structures to reach those trapped inside.

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