Taratala tragedy: BJP's Mazdoor Cell seeks FIR against former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, 2 ex-councillors

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) labour wing, Bharatiya Janata Mazdoor Cell (BJMC), South Kolkata district, has filed a formal complaint against former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim.

In the complaint filed at the Tatatala Police Station, the BJMC has sought that an FIR be filed against Hakim and others for alleged "illegal and unsafe" constructions in Kolkata, with respect to the repeated cases of buildings collapsing in the city.

The Taratala warehouse collapse on Wednesday, which killed more than 15 people and injured almost 18 people, falls under the jurisdiction of the Taratala Police Station.

The other names mentioned in the police complaint are Anwar Khan, the councillor of Ward 80 and Shams Iqbal, the councillor of Ward 134.

The letter states that the collapse of this godown has resulted in further "deaths and injuries".

“These incidents do not appear to be mere accidents but raise serious concerns regarding unauthorised constructions, gross negligence and possible criminal conspiracy,” the complaint letter read. 

The repeated loss of human lives due to building collapses warrants an immediate criminal investigation,” the letter further reads, stating that legal action should be taken against any person found responsible for granting illegal approvals for constructions or negligence in performing official duties which endangers public safety. 

Though the letter mentions Hakim as mayor of the KMC, he had resigned from his post earlier this month, after which he switched over to the rebel bloc of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Ritabrata Banerjee. The Mamata Banerjee faction of TMC has hit out at Hakim, demanding his arrest. 

“If Firhad Hakim is arrested before 5:00 PM today, I will understand the chief minister means what he says,” said TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh while mentioning CM Suvendu Adhikari holding up the Taratala warehouse sanction document in the Assembly on Thursday with Hakim’s signature, saying that no one will be spared. 

The Taratala warehouse collapse has opened up a can of worms with the BJP government pointing fingers at the erstwhile TMC government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) run earlier by the TMC.

Hakim, however, says that to his knowledge, the building plan was approved and hence the sanction was given.  

Hakim had also praised the current BJP government for its rescue efforts in the Taratala warehouse collapse. 

Hakim’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Kalicharan Banerjee was arrested on Thursday night after Adhikari mentioned his name in the Assembly as the person who sanctioned all building plans and took money that was sent to Camac Street, where TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s office is located.