The investigation into the deadly fire that tore through a decorator’s godown and a momo manufacturing unit in Kolkata’s Anandapur area has intensified, with Narendrapur Police arresting two more officials, taking the total number of arrests to three. The blaze, which broke out on the night of January 26, has now claimed 25 lives, exposing glaring safety violations and fuelling a sharp political row between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Following the earlier arrest of Gangadhar Das, owner of the Pushpanjali Decorators godown, police on January 30, took into custody Manoranjan Sheet, manager of the momo manufacturing unit, and Raja Chakraborty, its deputy manager. Both accused are scheduled to be produced before the Baruipur Sub-Divisional Court later in the day.
As arrests progressed, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led government, terming the tragedy a “man-made disaster” caused by illegal warehouses operating without fire safety clearances, mandatory no-objection certificates, or regular audits. He alleged that the godowns were functioning in the ecologically sensitive East Kolkata Wetlands with political patronage, reflecting what he described as “systemic apathy, corruption, and regulatory collapse” under the TMC regime.
Malviya also criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not visiting the site days after the incident, questioning the government’s seriousness in addressing one of the deadliest industrial fires in recent years. Reacting to the arrests, he alleged that the police action followed a familiar pattern of targeting lower-level employees while shielding influential individuals who enabled and profited from illegal operations. “Justice cannot be selective. Accountability must travel upward, not stop at convenient scapegoats,” he said.
Earlier, the BJP leader had claimed that a Trinamool-backed organisation, Bangla Pakkho, had alleged on social media that as many as 50 people died in the blaze, further intensifying demands for transparency. Malviya has called for a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT), citing delays in response by local ministers and what he termed an attempt to suppress the true scale of the tragedy.
According to officials, the fire reduced two godowns and the adjoining momo manufacturing unit to rubble, leaving behind charred structures and severely burnt human remains. Firefighters have since brought the blaze under control, while the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has deployed gas cutters and heavy machinery to clear debris. With several bodies recovered in skeletal condition, authorities have initiated DNA profiling to establish identities. Police have received at least 27 missing person complaints, most of them from Purba Medinipur district.
Preliminary investigations suggest that a picnic had been organised at the decorator’s godown on the night of January 25, with around 28 people present. Eyewitness accounts indicate that after dinner, several workers went to sleep inside the premises before the fire broke out. Investigators are examining whether a cigarette butt or other combustible material may have triggered the blaze.
A preliminary forensic report has contradicted initial claims made by godown owner Gangadhar Das, who had alleged that the fire originated in the momo manufacturing unit. According to the joint forensic assessment, the fire started on the third floor of the decorator’s godown before spreading rapidly to the adjacent momo unit. The combined facility spans approximately 35,000 square feet, with the momo manufacturing unit covering nearly 8,000 square feet.
Fire and forensic teams continue to collect samples from the site to determine the exact cause and point of ignition, while search operations remain underway to rule out the possibility of more victims trapped beneath the debris.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court has granted permission to the BJP to hold a rally in Kolkata on January 30, over the incident, setting the stage for further political escalation as public anger mounts over accountability and safety failures.
