Kolkata hotel fire: 17 more Mirza Ghalib Street hotels get show-cause notices
Synopsis
Nine people — including seven Bangladeshi nationals — died from smoke suffocation in a Kolkata hotel fire, and the state's response has exposed a sweeping safety failure: 26 hotels in one congested street have now been served show-cause notices, the original owner is absconding, and the BJP is demanding accountability from the previous TMC government over how these establishments ever got trade licences.
Key Takeaways
The West Bengal Fire Services Department issued show-cause notices to 17 more hotels on Friday in the Mirza Ghalib Street area, bringing the total to 26 establishments .
A fire at Shikha Inn on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday killed nine people , including seven Bangladeshi nationals ; deaths were caused by smoke suffocation .
The 17 hotels served on Friday must respond within 24 hours or face possible shutdown orders .
Leaseholder Abu Zafar is in police custody until 2 September ; original owner Bireshwar Mitra is still absconding.
The state government has ordered a special safety audit of all hotels, lodges, and guest houses in the area.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Minister Agnimitra Paul have questioned how the establishments obtained trade licences without minimum safety provisions.
The West Bengal Fire Services Department on Friday, 22 August 2025, issued show-cause notices to the authorities of 17 additional hotels in and around the congested Mirza Ghalib Street in Central Kolkata, citing alleged failure to maintain adequate fire safety infrastructure. This brings the total number of hotels and guest houses served notices in the area to 26, following a similar action against nine establishments on Thursday.
The Fire That Triggered the Crackdown
The enforcement drive follows a deadly blaze at Shikha Inn, located on the third floor of a five-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street, which broke out on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The fire claimed nine lives — six males, two women, and one child — including seven Bangladeshi nationals. According to officials, the victims died primarily from smoke-related suffocation rather than burn injuries. The building housed multiple hotels and guest houses, each occupying individual shacks; Shikha Inn itself covered an area of 1,100 square feet.
Notices, Deadlines, and Possible Shutdowns
All 17 hotels served notices on Friday have been directed to respond within 24 hours. Failure to comply could result in authorities ordering the immediate closure of the establishments. The state government has also announced a detailed special audit of all hotels, lodges, and guest houses in the Mirza Ghalib Street area. The New Market Police Station, under whose jurisdiction the building falls, has registered a suo motu case, while the Fire Services Department has filed a separate complaint.
Arrests and Absconders
The leaseholder of Shikha Inn, Abu Zafar, was arrested by police on Thursday and produced before a city court that afternoon. He has been remanded to police custody until 2 September. According to reports, Zafar had taken the hotel on lease from its original owner, Bireshwar Mitra, for a monthly payment of ₹40,000. Mitra is reportedly still absconding.
Political Fallout
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has blamed the previous Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for alleged negligence in the incident. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul have publicly questioned how these establishments obtained trade licences without meeting minimum safety provisions. The political row underscores a broader accountability gap in regulating densely packed commercial lodging zones in the city.
What Comes Next
The special audit is expected to determine whether the licensing failures at Mirza Ghalib Street reflect a systemic lapse across Kolkata's hotel sector. With the 24-hour compliance window now active for 17 establishments, potential closures could displace guests and workers at short notice. Investigators are also continuing efforts to locate the absconding original owner of Shikha Inn.
Point of View
Yet all held trade licences, which raises an uncomfortable question about the inspection and licensing machinery that cleared them. The political blame game between the BJP and TMC risks overshadowing the more urgent structural question: who signed off on these licences, and what oversight mechanism, if any, exists for densely packed lodging zones in Kolkata's commercial core? With seven foreign nationals among the dead, there is also a consular and diplomatic dimension that warrants attention beyond the domestic political theatre.
NationPress
21 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata?
A fire broke out at Shikha Inn, located on the third floor of a five-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street in Central Kolkata, on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. Nine people were killed — six males, two women, and one child, including seven Bangladeshi nationals — primarily due to smoke-related suffocation rather than burn injuries.
How many hotels have received show-cause notices after the Kolkata fire?
A total of 26 hotels and guest houses in and around Mirza Ghalib Street have received show-cause notices from the West Bengal Fire Services Department — nine on Thursday and 17 more on Friday — for allegedly not maintaining adequate fire safety facilities.
What happens if the hotels do not respond to the show-cause notices?
The 17 hotels served notices on Friday have been given 24 hours to respond. If they fail to comply, authorities may order the immediate shutdown of those establishments.
Who has been arrested in connection with the Shikha Inn fire?
Abu Zafar, the leaseholder of Shikha Inn, was arrested on Thursday and remanded to police custody until 2 September. The original owner, Bireshwar Mitra, from whom Zafar reportedly leased the hotel for ₹40,000 per month, is still absconding.
What action has the West Bengal government announced following the fire?
The state government has ordered a detailed special audit of all hotels, lodges, and guest houses in the Mirza Ghalib Street area. The New Market Police Station has also registered a suo motu case, and the Fire Services Department has filed a separate complaint.
