Kolkata warehouse collapse: Firhad Hakim sanctioned plan, says CM Adhikari
Synopsis
Nine people are dead after a Kolkata warehouse collapsed mid-construction — and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has named former KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim as the official who sanctioned the building plan. With an FIR filed and the CM promising no one will be spared, this is rapidly becoming a political and criminal accountability crisis for the Trinamool Congress.
Key Takeaways
A warehouse under construction at Taratala, Kolkata collapsed on Wednesday , killing at least nine people and injuring scores.
CM Suvendu Adhikari told the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday that the construction plan was sanctioned by former KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim .
The sanctioned plan also bears signatures of executive engineer Ranjan Das , assistant engineer Nirmalendu Sarkar , and sub-assistant engineer Aminur Sheikh .
The Indian Army's Bihar Regiment was deployed for rescue operations after the state acknowledged gaps in emergency equipment.
An FIR has been registered; the CM alleged a person named 'Kali' influenced KMC's building-approval process.
A warehouse under construction at Taratala on the southern outskirts of Kolkata collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least nine people and injuring scores more. The construction plan for the ill-fated structure was sanctioned by former Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor and ex-West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari told the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday.
What the Sanctioned Plan Reveals
According to CM Adhikari, the construction plan was approved on 17 January and bears the signatures of Hakim — a four-time Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator — along with executive engineer Ranjan Das, assistant engineer Nirmalendu Sarkar, and sub-assistant engineer Aminur Sheikh. The Chief Minister made clear that accountability would extend to all signatories. 'No one will be spared,' he told the House.
CM's Charge: Corruption and Negligence
Adhikari levelled sharp accusations against the former TMC-controlled KMC board, alleging that rampant bribery and extortion had transformed Kolkata into what he called a 'City of Death.' He charged that the previous administration had failed to procure modern emergency-response equipment, forcing authorities to seek assistance from the Indian Army. 'The Bihar Regiment personnel came with proper equipment and started the rescue work,' the Chief Minister said.
The 'Kali' Connection
The Chief Minister also alleged in the Assembly that a person identified only as 'Kali' was behind the majority of irregularities in building-plan approvals within the KMC jurisdiction. Adhikari claimed that Kali had influence over KMC's sanctioning process and was also linked to the construction of the Trinamool Bhavan on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. An FIR has been registered in connection with the case. 'Once Kali is arrested, all the information will surface,' the Chief Minister said.
Rescue Operations and the Broader Pattern
This comes amid a troubling pattern of building collapses in West Bengal, which critics argue reflects systemic failures in municipal oversight and plan-approval processes. The Taratala incident is the latest in a series of such tragedies, and the Chief Minister explicitly noted that previous accidents had not prompted corrective action. The deployment of army personnel underscores the scale of the emergency and the state's acknowledged gaps in disaster-response capacity.
What Happens Next
With an FIR registered and the Chief Minister promising no immunity for those named, the focus now shifts to the arrest of the individual referred to as Kali and a potential deeper probe into KMC's building-approval records. The political fallout for the Trinamool Congress — whose former office-bearers are now directly named — is likely to intensify as investigations proceed.
Point of View
But the structural question is sharper: how does a warehouse-under-construction collapse and kill nine people in a city with a functioning municipal corporation? CM Adhikari's naming of Hakim and KMC engineers shifts the narrative to accountability, but the fact that army personnel had to be called in because the state lacked emergency equipment is a failure that transcends party lines. West Bengal has seen repeated building-collapse tragedies; each time, the response is reactive rather than systemic. Until KMC's plan-approval and site-inspection processes are independently audited and reformed, the next collapse is a matter of when, not if.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Kolkata Taratala warehouse collapse?
A warehouse under construction at Taratala on the southern outskirts of Kolkata collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least nine people and injuring scores more. Rescue operations were carried out with the assistance of the Indian Army's Bihar Regiment.
Who sanctioned the construction plan for the collapsed warehouse?
According to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the plan was sanctioned on 17 January and bears the signature of former KMC Mayor and ex-Minister Firhad Hakim, along with three KMC engineers. Adhikari made the disclosure in the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday.
Has an FIR been registered in the Kolkata warehouse collapse case?
Yes, an FIR has been registered. Chief Minister Adhikari also alleged that a person referred to as 'Kali' was behind widespread irregularities in KMC building-plan approvals and vowed arrests would follow.
Why was the Indian Army called in for the rescue operation?
CM Adhikari alleged that the former TMC-controlled KMC board had not procured modern emergency-response equipment, leaving the state ill-equipped to handle the disaster. The Bihar Regiment was deployed with proper equipment to carry out the rescue.
What is the political significance of the Kolkata warehouse collapse?
The collapse has intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with CM Adhikari directly naming former Trinamool Congress Mayor Firhad Hakim as a signatory on the approved construction plan. The incident is likely to fuel demands for an independent audit of KMC's building-approval processes.
