Lucknow, Sep 9 The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a tenant accused in the June 22, 2024 Aliganj fire tragedy here that claimed 15 lives, observing that prima facie the building owner had failed to comply with fire-safety norms and make necessary arrangements to deal with an emergency.
Justice Manish Kumar of Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench granted bail to Suresh Kumar Sahu, noting that he was not the owner of the building but a tenant occupying the third floor and was not present at the premises when the fire broke out.
The court also noted that the rented premises were locked on the day of the incident and prima facie the building had only one exit.
Sahu was accused of keeping the channel gate outside his rented portion locked, with the allegation that some more lives could have been saved had it been open.
The court, however, observed that Sahu could not have anticipated that a fire would break out in the building and locking the gate of his rented premises could result in loss of life.
Referring to photographs placed on record, the court noted that there was no staircase from outside leading from the third floor to the roof.
Sahu had installed a wooden ladder from his rented portion to access the roof, the court said, adding that a wall constructed by the landowner on the third floor had created a dead end and no common passage had been provided to access the roof.
The court also took note of the fact that Sahu had no criminal history and had been in custody since June 23 this year.
Considering these circumstances, the court allowed his bail application.
The fire broke out on June 22, 2024, at a building in the Aliganj area of Lucknow, killing 15 people. The blaze reportedly trapped several occupants inside the building, with the lack of adequate exit routes and fire-safety arrangements emerging as key issues during the investigation.
