UP upgrades probe into Meerut fire; ADM removed

Lucknow, Apr 12: The Uttar Pradesh government today upgraded the magisterial probe into the trade fair inferno at Meerut on Monday by directing the Divisional Commisioner (Meerut) instead of Chief Development Commissioner to commission the enquiry.

The state cabinet that met today also cleared the decks for a high level judical probe by a sitting Allahabad High Court judge into the fire.

Under public pressure the government also removed Additional District Magistrate (ADM) City of Meerut Sirish Kumar Dubey from the post with immediate effect.

State Chief Secretary Naveen Chandra Bajpayee told mediapersons here that the ADM (City) was found guilty prima facie of giving clearance to hold the Fair without taking in consideration certain important facts.

The CS, however, did not divulge the action to be taken against the Meerut district magistrate Ram Krishna saying the probe would decide who was guilty for the incident.

He said now Commissioner Meerut Mohindar Singh would hold the probe and will submit his report at the earliest. The local probe was earlier being conducted by CDO.

Ruling out that the Commissioner's probe would interfere with the enquiry to be conducted by the sitting judge of the Allahabad High court, Mr Bajpayee said all the references of the commissioner's probe would be included in the judicial enquiry.

The state government on Monday night had ordered a magisterial probe headed by the CDO to enquire into the cause of the fire and the people responsible for it.

The state government has hiked the ex-gratia for the injured in the incident. The critically injured will now recieve Rs one lakh instead of Rs 50,000 and those with minor injuries would get Rs 50,000 in place of Rs 25,000. There are 16 critically injured victims and over 90 with burns receiving treatment at different hospitals in Meerut, Nodia, Ghaziabad and Delhi.

The state government had earlier announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to next of the kin of the deceased.

The CS refused to comment on the reports of use of bulldozers and detection of skulls near the Meerut Medical College.

''We can only say that all these issues would be the terms of reference in the two probes,'' he added.

Amid conflicting reports, official sources had said the inferno had claimed at least 60 lives.

The state government today confirmed that only 32 bodies have been sent for post mortem at Meerut Medical College.

UNI

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