Ghaziabad: An FIR was registered on Monday after a massive fire in a residential building in Khoda Colony last week killed three members of a family and left 25 others injured, with initial investigations indicating serious safety and approval lapses.Indirapuram ACP Abhishek Srivastava said they took suo motu cognisance of the fire that broke out late on March 3 night at Sunahri Residency, a five-storey apartment block in New Ajanta Park Colony, and registered an FIR against unknown persons under BNS sections 106 (negligence), 324 (4) (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 20,000 but less than Rs 1 lakh) and 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) at Khoda police station.Rajendra Kumar (54) and his wife Meena Devi (52), who were among those rescued from the building’s second floor on the night of the fire, succumbed to injuries on the same day. Their daughter Neetu (24) succumbed on Saturday at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, where she had been undergoing treatment since March 3.Police said residents had tried to escape but were trapped as the parking area on the ground floor and the stairwell were engulfed in flames. Some on the first floor jumped out of balconies or used ropes and sheets to climb down when fire engulfed their flats.According to police, preliminary investigations suggested the fire started in an electricity panel, also on the ground floor, and charred more than 50 two-wheelers parked there before reaching the staircase and lift shaft, filling the building with thick smoke. More than 20 fire tenders evacuated around 150 residents.Fire officials said the building lacked mandatory safety clearances. Chief fire officer Rahul Pal said the building did not have a fire no objection certificate. Police also found that the building had only a single entry and exit point.Officials said the building, constructed in 2019 by a Noida-based private builder, Vivek Rathi, housed 43 families in two- and three-room flats. The fire department has now written to the Khoda Makhanpur Nagar Palika Parishad seeking details of the building’s approved layout and construction permissions. Officials said the responsibility for approving building plans in the area lies with the parishad.Shailendra Singh, executive officer of the parishad, told TOI the building had no formal approval from the civic body. In fact, he acknowledged that most structures in the area lack sanctioned layouts.According to Singh, the municipal board has not yet implemented formal building bylaws under the Uttar Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1916, leaving large parts of Khoda with unregulated construction.“There is no house tax being levied, and the Nagar Palika has not issued completion certificates for any building. Under the Uttar Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1916, building layouts must be approved by the Khoda Nagar Palika. However, since the Palika board has not yet passed the bylaws, most buildings operate without sanctioned layouts. We have sent a proposal to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking approval to implement these bylaws and are awaiting a green signal,” he said.Police said notices will be issued to the builder seeking documents related to the building’s layout, construction permissions and clearances from relevant departments. Investigators will verify the documents before determining responsibility and taking further action.
