Five killed in fire at furniture shop building in Hyderabad
Hyderabad (PTI): Five persons, including two children and an elderly woman, died after a fire broke out in a four-storey furniture shop building in Nampally here, officials said on Sunday.
A major fire broke out on Saturday in the building, after which rescue operations were launched to save five persons trapped in the basement, officials said.
"Five bodies, including that of two boys and an elderly woman were retrieved from the cellar of the building on Sunday," a senior police official told PTI.
They are suspected to have died due to asphyxiation. However, the cause of the deaths would be known after post-mortem, she said.
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When asked about the cause of the blaze, the official said it was under investigation. A case was registered against the owner of the shop, the official added.
Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence Department Director General Vikram Singh Mann told media on Sunday that furniture, raw material, chemicals, plastics, mattresses, foam were among the materials stored in the two basements of the building.
This apart, accommodation with a room was provided to a security guard and his family in the cellar, he said, adding the basements were meant only for parking.
Multiple agencies, including police, fire, NDRF personnel and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), took part in the rescue operations that began Saturday afternoon.
Although the fire was brought under control, thick smoke billowing out from the building made the operation difficult.
The ramp leading to the basements was also blocked with materials which made it difficult for rescue personnel to access, officials earlier said.
Those who were trapped were the family members of a security guard and other workers.
Expressing shock over the incident, Transport and Hyderabad District in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Sunday said the government would support the families of the victims.
He directed the police officials to file criminal cases against the shop owner for "not following" fire safety guidelines.
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Hemant Karkare dying at hands of Kasab ‘Karmic Justice’: Shefali Vaidya on Col. Purohit’s promotion
Shefali Vaidya’s ‘karmic justice’ remark on Hemant Karkare sparks controversy.
Columnist Shefali Vaidya said that the death of former ATS chief Hemant Karkare was “almost karmic justice,” while expressing support for the promotion of Shrikant Purohit.
In the post, she wrote, “Col Purohit to be made Brigadier! This is the least Indian Army could do to restore the honour of an officer who was wrongly accused, framed on false charges, tortured beyond imagination and lost many years of his life thanks to anti-national, evil Congress.”
She further stated, “the way Maharashtra ATS Hemant Karkare died at the hands of Kasab was almost karmic justice, for having tortured Col Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya and others in the fake Hindu terror case. Ditto for disgraced cop Parambir Singh!”
Her post came after reports that Colonel Purohit, who was acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case last year, has been approved for promotion to Brigadier.
Defence sources cited by Indian Express had indicated that less than a month after his retirement was put on hold by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), he has been approved for promotion to Brigadier.
According to the report, he will now continue in service for at least two more years, up to the age of 56, which is the retirement age for Brigadiers, compared to 54 for Colonels.
Purohit had reportedly approached the AFT, stating that the 17-year-long trial had affected his career progression and denied him the opportunity to be considered for promotions.
Though he was granted bail in 2017, he remained under a Discipline and Vigilance (DV) ban, which was lifted in July 2020. Due to this, his promotion to the rank of Colonel was reportedly withheld in 2021.
The controversy around remarks on Karkare is not new.
Earlier, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee had highlighted instances of social media users allegedly making derogatory comments about the slain officer.
Hemant Karkare, a 1982-batch IPS officer, served as the chief of the Mumbai ATS and led the investigation into the 2008 Malegaon blasts. He was killed in action on November 26, 2008, during the 2008 Mumbai attacks while responding to terrorist activity near Cama Hospital. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 2009.
According to the Mumbai Police chargesheet, Karkare, along with Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte and Inspector Vijay Salaskar, was killed in an exchange of fire with Pakistani terrorists, including Ajmal Amir Kasab and Abu Ismail Khan.
The officers were ambushed near Rang Bhavan Lane while moving towards Cama Hospital.
According to a report by India Today, BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur had earlier claimed that Karkare died as a result of a “curse,” while Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar had alleged that an “RSS-linked cop” was responsible for Karkare’s death, citing claims from a book by S.M. Mushrif.
