Building owners arrested in connection with death of five persons in Tigalarapete fire mishap

A short circuit sparked a fire in a congested building at Bengaluru’s Tigalarapete, killing five, including a couple and their two children. Police arrested two owners for negligence and illegal construction, as families accused them of renting unsafe spaces.

Bengaluru: The Tigalarapete fire tragedy, which claimed five lives on Saturday, has been traced to a short circuit as per the preliminary investigation of the police and fire department. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner S. S. Seemanth Kumar Singh confirmed that two building owners have been arrested for gross negligence and violation of safety regulations.

According to officials, the fire originated in one of the commercial-cum-residential buildings where no proper fire safety arrangements were in place. Investigators revealed that the owners had illegally constructed additional floors without official permission and failed to comply with mandatory safety measures, directly contributing to the scale of the disaster.

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Following the incident, an FIR was registered at Halasuru Gate Police Station against building owners Balakrishna Shetty and Sandeep Shetty under Sections 105 3(5), 324(5) of the BNS. The police said that the complaint alleges that the unscientific construction of the building without following safety measures, and the lack of proper windows and lighting in the building were the reasons for the death of the five people.

The complaint was filed by Gopal Singh, brother of one of the deceased victims. He stated that his brother Madan’s family had been residing in Sandeep Shetty’s building, which also housed a warehouse. Adjacent to it, another warehouse owned by Balakrishna Shetty employed Suresh, who too lost his life in the blaze.

On Saturday, at around 3 am, a fire broke out in a four-storey building in Nagarat Pet under the jurisdiction of Halasuru Gate police station. In the incident, Madan Kumar (36), his wife Sangeeta (33), sons Mitesh (8), Vihan (5) and Suresh (30), who was staying in the neighbouring house, were burnt alive.

The fire had rapidly spread through the congested locality, leaving the residents trapped. Five people, including members of Madan’s family and worker Suresh, died tragically in the flames.

Gopal Singh alleged that both building owners deliberately rented out unsafe spaces, prioritizing profits over tenant safety, without obtaining clearance from the concerned departments. He has demanded strict legal action against the accused.