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"Questions have also been raised as to how the hotel was allowed to operate for several years without having proper fire exits in place", Court stated.
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday took suo motu cognizance of the massive fire incident at Lucknow's Levana Suites on Monday that left four people dead and eleven injured. Along with that court referred to another fire breakout at a coaching centre, a day after.
Court said, "It appears that several hotels, coaching centres, hospitals and commercial establishments are operating across the city of Lucknow without validly sanctioned maps and fire safety measures, with total impunity."
Stating that it is a very serious state of affairs, with very wide public health and safety ramifications, the division bench of Justice Rakesh Srivastava and Justice Brij Raj Singh directed the Vice-Chairman of the Lucknow Development Authority to file an affidavit detailing the number of establishments that are operating without proper building and fire permits in Lucknow. Court asked him to be present before it on September 22 as well.
Court further ordered the Chief Fire Officer to file his affidavit bringing on record the number of buildings, hospitals and commercial establishments which are operating without valid fire exits and equipment in the city. "It is also required that the affidavit clearly mention the number of NOCs which were found to have been wrongly given, in spite of the absence of proper adherence to the fire safety norms," court added.
Court highlighted an article on a news website, where Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Roshan Jacob was quoted expressing surprise on the fact that at the time of the fire, hotel Levana Suites was in possession of NOC of the fire department even when there was a clear lack of fire escape management system and violation of several fire-related safety rules on its part.
In addition to that, court pointed out that regarding the fire incident at the coaching centre, a newspaper reported that the building has a narrow staircase which resulted in several students getting stuck. Court said,
"It is deeply concerning to note that thousands of residential and commercial establishments are allowed to flout the building and fire safety rules by the relevant authorities, and it is only when a major tragedy such as the incident of fire at the Levana Suites Hotel takes place that these authorities wake up from their slumber and start taking proactive steps to seal and demolish such buildings."
Therefore, referring to the direction of the Apex Court that unauthorized constructions should be demolished, irrespective of the financial burden imposed upon the wrongdoers, court opined that despite various probes and inspections having been ordered by the State Government into the incident at Levana Suites, a public interest litigation is necessary.
Accordingly, court directed the Public Interest Litigation Cell of the high court to register a suo moto Public Interest Litigation titled “In Re: Incidents of Fire at Levana Suites Hotel" and place the same before the appropriate Bench.
Moreover, court appointed senior advocate Jaideep Narain Mathur and Adv. Meha Rashmi as Amicus Curiae to assist the court in the matter and posted the matter on September 22, 2022 for further hearing.
Case Title: In Re: Incidents of Fire at Levana Suites Hotel
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