The commercial building in Lucknow where a devastating fire claimed 15 lives had previously come under scrutiny for illegal building construction, with the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) issuing a demolition notice against the property in 2016 before withdrawing the order less than two months later.
The revelation has intensified questions over the building’s regulatory history following Monday’s Lucknow building fire, which engulfed the three-storey structure housing an animation centre and several commercial establishments.
Demolition order issued and revoked in 2016
According to a statement released by the Uttar Pradesh government, the LDA demolition order was issued on May 10, 2016, after authorities detected unauthorised construction on the premises.
However, the demolition notice did not remain in force for long. It was revoked on July 5, 2016, less than two months after it was issued, allowing the building to remain standing.
The circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of the demolition order have now come under renewed public attention in the wake of the deadly Lucknow fire tragedy.
Ownership history of the property
Government records show that the property was originally allotted to Vijay Kumar, son of Rameshwar Sahay, on July 11, 1980, under a hire-purchase lottery scheme.
In 2005, the property was formally registered in the names of Vijay Kumar and his wife, Usha, through a sale deed.
The couple later sold the building to Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla on January 19, 2013. The Lucknow Development Authority completed the property’s mutation in favour of the new owners on August 7, 2014.
Residential approval followed by unauthorised construction
The approximately 1,992-square-foot property received approval for residential use on August 20, 2014, under the LDA’s self-certification building plan scheme.
Subsequently, authorities discovered unauthorised construction, prompting the Lucknow Development Authority to register a case against owner Virendra Pratap Shukla.
The violations ultimately led to the Lucknow fire demolition notice being issued in 2016, although the order was later cancelled.
Deadly Lucknow building fire
The Lucknow commercial building caught fire on Monday, rapidly engulfing the three-storey structure that housed an animation centre and other commercial establishments.
The blaze claimed 15 lives, making it one of the city’s deadliest recent fire incidents. The tragedy has triggered renewed focus on building safety violations, fire safety compliance, and enforcement of construction regulations in urban areas.
Authorities are continuing investigations into the cause of the fire, while scrutiny has intensified over the building’s approval history, previous regulatory action, and whether earlier enforcement measures could have prevented the disaster.