4-member SIT formed to probe Alipore District Council fire as TMC, Congress raise questions

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the fire that broke out at the South 24 Parganas District Council building in Alipore after electronic voting machines (EVMs) and wildlife-related exhibits stored inside the premises were destroyed. Kolkata Police constituted the four-member SIT on Friday, while forensic experts visited the site to collect evidence and examine the cause of the blaze. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The fire broke out at around 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday in the 10-storey District Council building. According to available information, the blaze started on the fourth floor and spread to the fifth floor before reaching the ninth and tenth floors. The manner in which the fire spread to the upper floors has become a key focus of the investigation. State Fire Services Minister Kaushik Chowdhury, during a site visit, questioned how the flames moved from the lower levels to the upper floors while bypassing intervening sections of the building.

Officials stated that thousands of EVMs stored in the building were destroyed in the fire. The premises also housed wildlife exhibits and evidence recovered during anti-poaching operations, including tiger skins, crocodile teeth, and other animal remains. These materials were reportedly destroyed in the blaze. A forensic team collected samples of burnt materials, and Additional Chief Electoral Officer Arindam Niyogi also visited the site following reports of damage to EVMs.

The incident has drawn additional attention because the building housed the office of Jahangir Khan, the District Council's Executive Member for Public Works and Road Transport. Khan was recently arrested by the State Police Special Task Force. Investigators are examining all aspects of the incident as part of the ongoing probe, while police have already registered a case.

The fire has also triggered political reactions. The Trinamool Congress has raised questions regarding the destruction of EVMs and other election-related materials reportedly linked to Assembly constituencies including Kasba, Jadavpur, Behala East, Behala West, Metiabruz, Satgachia, and parts of the Diamond Harbour subdivision. Party leaders stated that petitions had been filed seeking preservation of EVMs and CCTV footage and questioned how the materials were destroyed despite those requests.