Four days have passed since Kolkata’s Anandapur warehouse fire incident. The death toll has risen to 21. Meanwhile, 27 people are still missing according to the police. However, as days progress, the chances of the missing persons surviving are becoming increasingly slim. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (formerly IPC Section 144) has been imposed from midnight on Wednesday. As a result, strict restrictions have been placed on gatherings and movement in the area.

A massive fire broke out around 3 am on January 26 at the twin warehouses at Nazirabad in East Kolkata’s Anandapur area. The fire continued to smolder through Monday and into Tuesday afternoon. Scattered body parts were found across the charred remains of the buildings.

Based on a complaint from the fire department, the Narendrapur police registered a case of death due to negligence. Additionally, the police registered a suo motu case under the same charge. However, no official source has confirmed the exact starting point of the blaze. The exact cause of the fire also remains unknown, but an investigation is underway.

Anandapur fire: Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari to visit site

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, along with several other BJP leaders, is scheduled to visit the site on Thursday afternoon. With Section 163 imposed immediately before his scheduled visit, the BJP leader has challenged this directive and approached the Calcutta High Court. He has also applied for permission to visit the site. The case is likely to be heard at 2 p.m. on Thursday in the court of Justice Shubhra Ghosh.

Anandapur fire: DNA Mapping to identify the deceased

Until Sunday night, there was a godown and warehouse in Nazirabad, Anandapur buzzing with activity. The raging fire changed that familiar scene overnight. Now there is only rubble and charred smell in the air. Amid this, the families of the missing are still hoping that their loved ones will return.

The charred remains have made identification of the bodies impossible. According to the police, DNA mapping may begin today to confirm the identities of the 21 recovered bodies. This process extremely important in determining the correct identities of the deceased. The bodies will be handed over to the families only after this process is completed.

What is Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)?

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) is a landmark Indian legislation that replaced the colonial-era Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, effective from July 1, 2024. It modernises India’s criminal procedure by mandating forensic investigations for serious crimes, promoting electronic, technology-driven, and time-bound justice.

Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (which replaces Section 144 of the CrPC) empowers Executive Magistrates to issue immediate, written orders to prevent urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger. It allows restrictions on public movement, assemblies, or actions to prevent riots, danger to health, or safety risks.

Anandapur fire: Godown owner arrested, pleads not guilty

Police have arrested the owner of the burnt down Pushpanjali decorator’s warehouse on the charge of causing death due to negligence. The Narendrapur police arrested Gangadhar Das from the Garia area on Tuesday night. He was produced at the Baruipur Sub-divisional Court on Wednesday, which remanded him to police custody till February 4. Das has denied any negligence on his part. Describing himself as a victim, he lamented that he had lost everything in his long-standing business. He told police that the fire had originated due to negligence at a nearby manufacturing plant.

The Pushpanjali decorator’s warehouse was adjacent to a momo company’s (Wow Momo) warehouse, which was also completely destroyed in the fire. Similar charges have been filed against the food giant, but no one from that company has been arrested yet.

Anandapur fire: Wow Momo announces compensation for families of the deceased

Wow Momo on Wednesday said that they have lost three of their employees in the fire incident. In a statement, the company said that in the early morning hours of January 26, around 3 a.m., a fire from a neighbouring warehouse spread into its premises, completely gutting one of its warehouses in Anandapur.
“Our hearts are immersed with grief and pain for having lost two of our valued employees and a NIS-contracted security guard in this entire catastrophe,” the statement read.

The company announced a compensation package that includes a payment of Rs 10 lakh per affected family, a lifetime monthly salary for the bereaved and full educational support for the child in the family. The company further said that the fire from the neighbouring warehouse reportedly started due to unauthorised cooking at that warehouse.

Anandapur fire: Questions raised about fire safety in warehouse/godown in that area

The devastating fire incident which claimed 21 lives has led to questions about the fire safety measures at the gutted warehouses. During an inspection on Tuesday, Ranveer Kumar, Director General of Fire Services, revealed that the warehouses did not have any fire safety clearance. When asked how the facility had operated for so long without approval, Kumar admitted there might have been lapses within the department and assured of an internal probe.

The role of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has also come under scrutiny. Responding to why no action was taken earlier, Kolkata Mayor and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim stated, “It is not right to shut down someone’s livelihood. If we did, you would be the ones raising questions.”

The warehouses were allegedly built by illegally filling wetlands. When quizzed on the same, the Kolkata Mayor said he was unaware if the structures stood on a wetland. He has stated that steps will be taken to not permit wetland encroachment anymore.

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