Seven people died after a devastating fire broke out at a hotel in Tarapith, Birbhum district, West Bengal, triggering sharp political accusations against the local development authority. Dhruba Saha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Rampurhat Assembly Constituency, on Monday alleged that the Tarapith-Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA) granted the hotel permission in exchange for bribes, overriding objections to constructing a large building in a densely packed lane.

What the BJP MLA Said

Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, Saha questioned how the TRDA could have sanctioned a hotel of that scale in such a congested locality with minimal firefighting infrastructure. “Even after receiving the news of the fire, it took quite a while for the fire brigade to arrive. How was permission given to build a hotel in that place? Such a big building. But there were minimal firefighting arrangements there. The building was virtually a House of Lacquer. Surely there was a bribery element behind the permission for the hotel. It seems that TRDA did not even check whether there were firefighting arrangements. Who will take responsibility for the death of these seven people?” Saha said.

A Dead Politician’s Note and Corruption Allegations

The accusations against TRDA come amid a separate, deeply unsettling development. Asish Banerjee, the former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator from Rampurhat Assembly Constituency and former Deputy Speaker of West Bengal, was found dead in a room at his residence on Sunday. A suicide note recovered from the spot reportedly cited rampant corruption within TRDA, with Banerjee claiming he had been helpless as a former MLA to check it. The convergence of a sitting MLA’s public allegations and a deceased predecessor’s written testimony has brought the authority’s functioning under intense scrutiny.

Police Response and Arrest

Birbhum District Police Superintendent Vidit Raj Bundesh confirmed that the allegations of inadequate fire safety at the hotel are under investigation. “Already, the owner, Kalyan Paul, has been arrested. Our officers are interrogating him now. Strict punishment will be taken against those whose negligence led to such a tragedy. A forensic team is already at the spot. It is being investigated whether the fire license was in order,” Bundesh said.

Background and Broader Context

Tarapith is one of West Bengal’s most prominent pilgrimage sites, drawing large crowds year-round. Hotels and lodges in the area have historically operated in narrow, congested lanes catering to pilgrims. Critics argue that rapid commercialisation of such religious towns, combined with lax regulatory oversight, creates acute fire hazard risks. This incident is not the first time inadequate safety norms at pilgrim-town hospitality establishments have come under scrutiny in the state.

What Happens Next

With a forensic team on site and the hotel owner in custody, investigators are expected to determine whether the fire licence was valid and whether TRDA officials can be held criminally liable. Political pressure from the BJP is likely to intensify calls for an independent probe into the authority’s permitting practices. The deaths of seven people and the shadow of a suicide note naming institutional corruption make this a case that will be difficult for the state government to contain.