Kolkata hotel fire: Last absconding accused Saba Zafar arrested after 2 months
Synopsis
More than two months after the Hotel Shikha Inn fire killed nine people — most of them Bangladeshi medical tourists — Kolkata Police have finally arrested the last absconding accused, Saba Zafar, from a hideout in Howrah. Her arrest completes the custody chain in a case that exposed dangerous fire safety gaps in Kolkata's budget hotel corridor.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police arrested Saba Zafar on 28 October 2025 from a hideout in Shibpur, Howrah .
The Hotel Shikha Inn fire on Mirza Ghalib Street killed nine people , including a child, on the intervening night of 18–19 August 2025 .
Most victims were Bangladeshi nationals visiting Kolkata for medical treatment who died of suffocation .
Saba Zafar had initially fled to Uttar Pradesh and repeatedly changed locations before returning to Howrah.
The hotel was leased by Saba and her husband Abu Zafar from owner Bireshwar Moitra at ₹40,000 per month ; all three are now in custody.
Kolkata Police on Wednesday, 28 October 2025, arrested Saba Zafar, the last absconding accused in the deadly Hotel Shikha Inn fire on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata, which claimed nine lives — including a child — on the intervening night of 18–19 August this year. Zafar was apprehended from a hideout in Shibpur, in the neighbouring Howrah district, more than two months after the tragedy.
How Saba Zafar Evaded Arrest
Investigators revealed that Saba Zafar initially fled to Uttar Pradesh immediately following the fire and had been constantly moving locations to evade law enforcement. According to police sources, she was eventually traced back to a concealed address in Shibpur after informants tipped off officers about her recent relocation. A raid was conducted at the site, and she was taken into custody on Wednesday evening.
Background: Who Operated the Hotel
Saba Zafar and her husband, Abu Zafar, had taken Hotel Shikha Inn on lease from the original owner, Bireshwar Moitra, at a monthly rent of ₹40,000. While Abu Zafar was arrested shortly after the fire, and Moitra was detained at his residence in Behala on Kolkata's southern outskirts after briefly fleeing, Saba remained at large — the sole accused yet to face custody until now.
The Fire and Its Victims
The blaze broke out on the third floor of the building housing Hotel Shikha Inn and several other lodges. Hotel rooms quickly filled with thick smoke, and the majority of the nine victims died of suffocation. Notably, most of those who perished were Bangladeshi nationals who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment — a detail that drew attention to the vulnerability of visiting patients staying in budget accommodation near the city's hospitals.
Significance of the Arrest
The arrest of Saba Zafar closes the last gap in the list of accused in one of Kolkata's most lethal hotel fires in recent memory. This is also the second instance in the case where a suspect evaded immediate arrest — Moitra similarly fled before being caught. Critics have argued that lax fire safety enforcement in budget lodges along Mirza Ghalib Street, a corridor popular with medical tourists, created conditions for the tragedy. Investigators are expected to now consolidate the chargesheet with all three accused in custody.
Point of View
Given that she moved through multiple states before eventually returning to neighbouring Howrah. More fundamentally, the Hotel Shikha Inn fire exposed what critics have long flagged: budget lodges in Kolkata's medical tourism belt operate with minimal fire safety oversight, and their clientele — visiting patients and caregivers — are among the city's most vulnerable. Whether the chargesheet now translates into conviction, and whether the tragedy triggers enforceable fire safety audits in the neighbourhood, will be the real measure of accountability.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Saba Zafar and why was she arrested?
Saba Zafar is one of the accused in the Hotel Shikha Inn fire in Kolkata that killed nine people in August 2025. She and her husband Abu Zafar had leased the hotel and were held responsible in connection with the blaze; she was arrested on 28 October 2025 after more than two months on the run.
Where was Saba Zafar hiding before her arrest?
According to police sources, Saba Zafar initially fled to Uttar Pradesh after the fire and kept changing locations to evade capture. She was eventually arrested from a concealed hideout in Shibpur in the Howrah district, adjacent to Kolkata.
How many people died in the Hotel Shikha Inn fire?
Nine people, including a child, died in the Hotel Shikha Inn fire on the intervening night of 18–19 August 2025. The majority of victims were Bangladeshi nationals who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment and died of suffocation from thick smoke.
Who are the other accused in the Kolkata hotel fire case?
The three accused are Saba Zafar and her husband Abu Zafar, who had leased the hotel, and Bireshwar Moitra, the original owner who had leased it to them for ₹40,000 a month. Abu Zafar and Moitra were arrested shortly after the fire; Saba was the last to be apprehended.
What caused the Hotel Shikha Inn fire?
The fire broke out on the third floor of the building housing Hotel Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata. Rooms quickly filled with thick smoke, causing most victims to die of suffocation; investigations into the precise cause and any fire safety violations are ongoing.
