Mundka fire tragedy: NHRC begins probe into rights violations

Delhi fire: NHRC DG Sunil Meena said the rights body had taken suo motu cognizance of the fire tragedy and looking into concerns regarding violations of human rights.

A team of officials from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday visited the commercial building in outer Delhi's Mundka area that was destroyed in a massive fire on May 13 killing at least 27 people.

NHRC team at Mundka fire tragedy spot in Delhi on Monday. (ANI)

NHRC DG Sunil Meena said the rights body had taken suo motu cognizance of the fire tragedy and looking into concerns regarding violations of human rights.

“It is the first day of the probe, and will progress as we get more facts,” Meena was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

A day ago, the owner of the ill-fated four-storey building was arrested. Police said Manish Lakra, 35, who was at large since the incident, was held from Ghevra Mod.

The owner used to live on the fourth floor of the commercial building with his family and had managed to escape to the adjacent building along with them when the fire broke out.

Meanwhile a political blame game was underway with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blaming the fire tragedy on several irregularities by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led municipal corporations, while the saffron party said the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi had failed to act against illegal buildings.