Mundka fire tragedy: Squatters take over burnt-out building

A year after the May 13 fire in the building that left 27 dead, the structure wears an even sorrier look that it did that fateful night

New Delhi The staircase leading to the commercial building is still peppered with glass shards from the rescue operation a year ago. The pungent odour from the remains of the blaze still seems fresh, engulfing every floor of the four-storey structure. Partially burnt leaflets and visiting cards peep out of mounds of charred goods that are a reminder of the multiple packaging units that operated out of the property.

A year on from the tragedy, thieves have now foraged through whatever they could salvage, and drug addicts have allegedly turned it into their den. (HT Photo)

A couple of discarded black gloves are lying as a reminder of the rescue effort, and palm prints on the soot-stained black walls evidence of the new, unwanted guests on the premises.

A host of notices are pasted on the iron gate. The basement is flooded with stagnant water. And leftover packets of snacks and soft drinks suggest the place is frequently inhabited despite its condition, with a bunch of used syringes and empty vials indicating how the place is being misused.

What stands out amid the ruins a year later is a rectangular photo frame of Lord Krishna rested against the wall on the ground floor of the building located along Rohtak Road, near the green line of the Delhi Metro. No one knows who placed the photo there, but everyone in the neighbourhood believes it was meant to serve a purpose.

To little avail.

“We hoped the photo would discourage people from squatting on the property, addicts from abusing drugs and thieves from stealing,” said Radha Raman, a local resident, about the building that was once part of a series of commercial establishments in the area.

A year after the May 13 fire in the building that left 27 dead, the structure wears an even sorrier look that it did that fateful night — thieves have now foraged through whatever they could salvage, and drug addicts have allegedly turned it into their den.

From charred items such as packing materials, leaflets and visiting cards — the factory packed CCTV cameras, Wi-Fi routers and water purifiers — which they stuffed into large sacks; to an elevator that was allegedly dismantled, leaving behind an empty shaft, the foragers have spared little. “Be it day or night, thieves have been at their job, carrying away every saleable item in their bare hands or by loading them on tempos,” said Ravi Kumar, a shopkeeper who lives right next to the burnt building.

The cement has been peeled off, and the bricks removed, to steal wires and pipes. From taps and sinks to the iron railings on the staircases, every part has been stripped bit by bit.

“The outdoor air-conditioner units were the first to go, and the charred remains of goods were the last to be packed,” said Manish Lakra, the building owner, showing images of large white sacks packed with the burnt goods. “I must have called the police control room (PCR) over half-a-dozen times in the last five-six months. They either don’t care, or let go of thieves we catch and hand over to them,” he alleged.

Confusion remains about the status of the building. Lakra’s lawyer, Pradeep Kumar Arya said, “The building was in police’s supervision during investigation for several months. My client was released from jail only a few weeks ago. The police should have kept proper vigilance, but instead thieves and drug addicts took over the building”.

However, the police said that they are not custodians of the building.

Locals said that there was police deployed at the site till August 8 when the charge sheet in the case was submitted in the court. “Within a week or two after the police left, the place got overrun,” said Raman.

Senior Delhi Police officers say that they never had control of the building. “Once our investigation ended, the building was not under our possession. It was the GNCT that was inquiring about the building’s legalities, they should be able to answer this,” said a police officer who asked not to be named.

“Anyway, there wasn’t really much left in the building to be stolen. Whatever little must have been taken away must be the handiworks of smack addicts operating in a building that didn’t have even doors left,” the officer said.

The police also blamed the owners, saying their inability to clear the garbage led to other small fires that erupted there after last year’s fatal blaze. “On one occasion, we got some private people to clear some parts so that there would be no more fires,” the officer said.

There are some new additions in the form of gaping holes in the walls. “Thieves and addicts use them to escape whenever we try to catch them,” says Lakhwinder Singh, a local businessman, worried that the infestation of this building threatens the safety of their businesses as well.

Ironically, a year ago, 27 people died because there were not enough escape routes in the building.