The Mahankali police booked cases against several offices in the Swapnalok Complex as well as the Swapnalok Suryakiran Establishment Association for negligence which led to the death of six persons in the fire on Thursday evening. Police also booked a cheating case against Vihaan Direct Selling Pvt. Ltd., which runs a multi-level marketing scheme.
Police barricaded the entire complex on Friday and temporarily stopped operations of all businesses inside the building as a precautionary measure and to conduct further probe.
Following a complaint by P. Srinivas, who has been working as the supervisor at Swapnalok Complex for the past seven years, cases were booked against Swapnalok Suryakiran Establishment Association, Kedia Infotech, Vikas Paper Flexo Packaging and Vihaan Direct Selling under Sections 304 (II), 324, 420 of the IPC, and section 9 (b) of the Explosives Act of 1884.
In his complaint, Mr. Srinivas said that he heard screaming around 7.15 p.m. on Thursday and rushed to the spot with security guards and saw flames as well as smoke emanating out of Kedia Infotech and Vikas Paper on the fifth floor of B-block.
“He immediately dialled 100 and alerted the police, fire brigade and Disaster Response Force. He also alerted the people inside the building to rush to safer places. The six persons, who died in the mishap, were all employees of Vihaan and were found unconscious on the fifth floor in flat numbers 510 and 511,” said Mahankali police inspector, Kaveti Srinivasulu.
Earlier in 2019, Cyberabad Police had arrested 70 persons in about 38 cases registered against Vihaan Direct Selling in different police stations of Cyberabad Commissionerate limits. That apart, several cases were also booked against the firm and its promoters in different States of the country, following which investigating authorities had frozen ₹2.7 crore in their bank accounts.
Published - March 18, 2023 12:07 am IST
