Lucknow hotel fire: LDA’s initial probe report recommends action against 22 engineers and officials

The Lucknow Development Authority also lodged an FIR at the Hazratganj police station against a builder and his partners for carrying out commercial activity and running a hotel on a residential plot.

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) late on Monday evening submitted its initial probe report on the Levana Suites hotel fire in the state capital, recommending action against 22 engineers/ zonal officers for allegedly conniving with the builder and turning a blind eye to illegal construction activity.

Cylinders and oil tanks being shifted to safer places after a fire broke out at a hotel, at Hazratganj, in Lucknow on Monday. (ANI PHTO)

The development authority also lodged an FIR at the Hazratganj police station against Mukesh Jasnani of M/S Bansal Construction and his partners for carrying out commercial activity of running a hotel on a residential plot.

LDA vice-chairman Indramani Tripathi constituted the probe committee headed by LDA secretary Pawan Kumar Gangwar to fix accountability for the incident.

After the initial probe, the committee found 22 engineers/ zonal officers allegedly responsible for conniving with the builder and turning a blind eye to the illegal construction activity.

The committee has found engineers posted in zone six (which includes Hazratganj) since July 2, 2017 responsible for the incident.