National
Delhi Fire: 14 victims identified, Crime Branch to probe (Roundup)
New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) A day after a factory fire killed 17 persons in west Delhi’s Bawana area, 14 victims were identified and the factory owner arrested on Sunday, police said.
The case was transferred to the Crime branch for a probe by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik.
Those identified included nine women and five men, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.
They are Baby Devi, 40, Afshana, 35, Sonam, 23, Reeta, 18, Madeena, 55, Rajjo, 65, Sukhda, 42, Khusna, 47, Soni, 21, Suraj, 20, Ravi Kant, 18, Rohit, 19, Sanjeet, 19, and Ajeet Ranjan, 22.
Gupta said Manoj Jain, owner of the plastic factory that was also used as a warehouse for firecrackers, had been arrested. He rented it on January 1.
Jain was taken into custody on Saturday night after brief questioning as police filed an FIR against him under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosives Act dealing with negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing hurt by acts endangering life or personal safety of others.
The DCP said an injured labourer claimed that firecrackers were packed in the factory.
The fire in the Bawana Industrial Area was reported to the Police Control Room around 6.20 p.m. on Saturday. The victims were trapped in the basement and the first and second floors when the fire spread from the basement.
After visiting the spot, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a probe and announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased.
He said it will be investigated how a licence was given to the establishment, who gave it and also how the incident happened.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Tiwari also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the victims families.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Industries and Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain told reporters that a probe committee has been formed and strict action will be taken after the report is submitted.
However, on Sunday, a blame game started as the BJP said the factory licence was issued by the Delhi government since the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had cancelled it in February 2015.
“This place, this factory, its licence and everything was with the Delhi government and its Industry Department. It was being run illegally,” Tiwari tweeted.
Echoing him, BJP MP from New Delhi Meenakshi Lekhi said: “Bawana Industrial Area is a confirmed industrial area of Delhi maintained by the DSIIDC (Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation) which is responsible to check for the fact that no illegal manufacturing happens in the factories situated there.”
“In this immediate case of the factory where the fire started, the North MCD had cancelled the licence in February 2015 itself.
“The DSIIDC owes an explanation to the people of Delhi on how the factory was running,” she said.
Tiwari also attacked Kejriwal after he retweeted a video of North Delhi Mayor Preeti Agarwal where she is seen cautioning officials not to say anything on the tragedy.
Kejriwal on Saturday night retweeted a video wherein Agarwal is heard saying: “The licence of this factory is with us. That’s why we cannot speak on the issue.”
Tiwari took to Twitter and wrote: “What can be more shameful than this, where 17 people have lost their life and the Chief Minister is retweeting a false video.”
The North Delhi Mayor told the media: “I only made some inquiry about the place from my co-workers and I meant we shouldn’t say anything about such an unfortunate incident at this time.”
The Mayor demanded an apology from the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, the Congress demanded a judicial probe into the Bawana factory fire.
“We demand a judicial inquiry into the fire in Bawana industrial area in west Delhi on Saturday evening since the magisterial inquiry ordered by the state government is meant to save its own departments. We also demand the judicial inquiry for a fair probe,” Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken told reporters after visiting the spot in west Delhi.
The former Union Minister also condemned Agarwal for what he called her “insensitive statement”.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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