Shikha Inn fire: Hotel owner Bireswar Mitra arrested after 9 killed in Kolkata blaze
Synopsis
The owner of Kolkata's Hotel Shikha Inn, Bireswar Mitra, was nabbed from his own home in Behala after days on the run — his return reportedly forced by police-imposed bank account restrictions that cut off his funds. Nine people, including a three-year-old child and seven Bangladeshi nationals, died in the 18 August blaze.
Key Takeaways
Bireswar Mitra , owner of Hotel Shikha Inn , was arrested on Saturday by Kolkata Police's SIT from his residence in Behala .
Mitra had fled to Dhanbad, Jharkhand on Wednesday morning immediately after learning of the fire on 18–19 August .
Police imposed debit restrictions on both his bank accounts after he went absconding, reportedly forcing his return.
The hotel had been leased to Abu Zafar for ₹40,000 per month ; Zafar was arrested on Wednesday afternoon .
Of the 9 victims , 7 were Bangladeshi nationals , one was from Jharkhand, one from Siliguri; the dead included a three-year-old child .
Mitra is to be produced before a Kolkata court; the public prosecutor will seek police custody .
Bireswar Mitra, the owner of Hotel Shikha Inn in Kolkata, was arrested on Saturday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kolkata Police, days after a devastating fire at the hotel on the intervening night of 18–19 August claimed nine lives. Mitra had been absconding since the morning of the incident, having fled to Dhanbad in neighbouring Jharkhand.
How the Arrest Unfolded
According to a city police source, investigators received information that Mitra might return to his residence in Behala, in the southern outskirts of Kolkata. Plain-clothes SIT sleuths were deployed near the property, and Mitra was apprehended the moment he arrived home.
Upon questioning, Mitra reportedly admitted to fleeing to Dhanbad on Wednesday morning, immediately after being informed of the fire. Investigators believe he may have sought assistance from hotel employees based in the city, though the full picture is expected to emerge after thorough interrogation.
Why He May Have Returned
A city police source said authorities had imposed debit restrictions on both of Mitra's bank accounts shortly after he went absconding — effectively cutting off his access to funds. 'There is a possibility that since his source of funds were choked, he was left with no other option to come back to his home at Behala,' the source said. 'Some of his hotel employees are Dhanbad-based. Probably escaped there to seek assistance from them. All these will be clear after thorough interrogation.'
Investigators, however, noted that Mitra's decision to return despite a high risk of arrest suggests he may have had 'some motive or the other,' which the SIT is now working to establish.
Background: The Hotel and the Lease
Although Mitra owns Hotel Shikha Inn, he had recently leased the property to one Abu Zafar against a monthly payment of ₹40,000. Zafar was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the fire. Mitra, however, had already absconded by then.
In the two days following the fire, SIT sleuths travelled to Digha and Mandarmani — both in East Midnapore district — where Mitra reportedly owns two additional hotels, but he was not found at either location.
The Victims
Of the nine people who died in the Shikha Inn fire, seven were Bangladeshi nationals, one was from Giridih in Jharkhand, and one was from Siliguri in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Among the dead were six men, two women, and a three-year-old child.
What Happens Next
Mitra is set to be produced before a lower court in Kolkata, where the public prosecutor is expected to seek his police custody for further interrogation. The SIT probe into the fire's cause and the circumstances of the hotel's operation continues.
Point of View
Accountability blurs, and safety oversight falls through the cracks between owner and lessee. That nine people — including a toddler and seven foreign nationals — died in a budget hotel fire raises hard questions about fire-safety compliance enforcement in Kolkata's hospitality sector. The bank-freeze tactic that reportedly forced Mitra's return is a pragmatic investigative move, but the deeper question is why the hotel was operating without adequate fire exits or suppression systems in the first place. The SIT's interrogation must go beyond the arrest and establish whether violations were known, reported, and ignored.
NationPress
23 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bireswar Mitra and why was he arrested?
Bireswar Mitra is the owner of Hotel Shikha Inn in Kolkata, where a fire on the intervening night of 18–19 August 2025 killed nine people. He was arrested by the Kolkata Police SIT on Saturday after being traced to his residence in Behala, having fled to Dhanbad, Jharkhand, immediately after the incident.
Why did Bireswar Mitra return to Kolkata despite the risk of arrest?
According to a city police source, Mitra's bank accounts were frozen by police after he went absconding, cutting off his access to funds. Investigators believe this financial pressure may have compelled him to return home, though his exact motive is still being established through interrogation.
Who else has been arrested in connection with the Shikha Inn fire?
Abu Zafar, the person to whom Mitra had leased Hotel Shikha Inn for ₹40,000 per month, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon — the same day the fire was reported. Mitra was arrested subsequently on Saturday.
Who were the victims of the Kolkata hotel fire?
Nine people died in the Shikha Inn fire. Seven were Bangladeshi nationals, one was from Giridih in Jharkhand, and one was from Siliguri in West Bengal's Darjeeling district. The victims included six men, two women, and a three-year-old child.
What happens next in the Shikha Inn fire case?
Bireswar Mitra is to be produced before a lower court in Kolkata, where the public prosecutor is expected to seek police custody for further questioning. The SIT continues to investigate the cause of the fire and the circumstances of the hotel's operation.
