Hyderabad: Case booked against Swapnalok Association

Negligence on part of the complex was evident in the fire mishap in Swapnalok Complex, says Fire Department Director General

Hyderabad: The Mahankali police on Friday booked a case against Swapnalok Suryakiran Establishment Association and others in connection with the fire mishap which claimed six young lives on Thursday night.

Based on a complaint from P Srinivas, the complex supervisor, a case for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, cheating, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and under the Explosives Act was booked against Swapnalok Suryakiran Association, Kedia Infotech Ltd, Vikas Paper Packaging Ltd and against QNet and Vihan Direct Selling Pvt Ltd, where the victims were working.

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Fire Department Director General (DG) Y Nagi Reddy who visited the fire site, said negligence on part of Swapnalok Complex was evident in the fire mishap incident. “On receiving the call, we immediately reached the spot and rescued 12 persons. During search operations, six persons were found in a room in an unconscious state. They were shifted to the hospital, where they died,” he said. Though there was fire safety equipment in place, it was not operational. Water was available, but the pump was not working when fire personnel tried to use them during the rescue operation, he added.

Meanwhile, the Clues Team visited Swapnalok Complex and collected samples from the spot on Friday. Preliminary investigation revealed an electrical short circuit to have led to the fire. They examined the switchboard panel on the ground floor and collected the damaged wires and other materials from the spot. A senior official said, “We suspect an electrical fluctuation due to the heavy wind and rain resulted in a short circuit in the electrical panel board. It subsequently passed to other floors of the complex.”

Complex to be seized

Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said the Swapnalok Complex would be seized due to the lack of fire safety measures resulting in the mishap. Accompanied by Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Srinivas Yadav visited Gandhi Hospital and consoled the families of the victims, who were waiting for the bodies.

Team meeting proves fatal for six

The six youths who perished in the fire had come to the city in search of jobs and to support their families back in their native villages.

If not for a team meeting that went past 7 pm, the victims would have left the office by 5 pm. All of them were engineering graduates and freshers in the job.

Triveni (22) from Nelakondapalli in Khammam who is survived by her parents and a younger sister was staying in a ladies’ hostel in West Marredpally. As soon as the fire spread to the fifth floor, she called her sister, Kavita. “She called me around 7.30 pm and asked me not to panic as she along with others was taking shelter in the bathroom of their office,” said Kavita at the Gandhi Hospital morgue.

Another victim Shravani (22), from Khanapuram in Warangal had joined the firm about a year ago and is survived by her parents, both construction workers.

Meanwhile, Prashanth (23), from Kesamudra, of Mahabubabad, was the sole breadwinner for his family. His family was planning to get him married this year. Another victim, K Pramila (22) from a remote village in Gudur in Mahabubabad was planning to join a software company soon.

Firms collected money, allege kin

Families of the six victims alleged that the management of QNet and Vihan Direct Selling Pvt Ltd had collected money from them between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh offering e-commerce jobs and forcing them to add members as part of the Multilevel Marketing schemes. “The case is being investigated and based on further evidence, action will be taken against those responsible. No arrests have been made yet,” said an official from Mahankali police station.