Calcutta, Sept. 19: The fire services department today withdrew its permission to a puja pandal in south Calcutta and filed an FIR against the organisers because the structure was made using inflammable material.

The 73-year-old Shib Mandir Sarbajanin Durgotsav has a pandal made of straw, the bark of banana trees and bamboo shafts, said the fire department officials who went to Lake Temple Road for a joint inspection with Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti, the city police commissioner.

The construction flouts Calcutta High Court rules set for fire safety. (See chart)

“An FIR has been lodged under Section 23 A of the West Bengal Fire Services Act and we have revoked the permission that had been given provisionally,” said D.P. Biswas, the additional director-general of fire services.

“The pandal also does not have four-foot open space on one side. In case of an accident, there could be a stampede,” Biswas added.

Sources said officers from Tollygunge police station would carry out a probe. Only after the veracity of the claims are established, will the police decide what action to take.

“We’ll treat this FIR like any other case and if our investigation shows that the contents of the FIR are true then we have the option of arresting the organisers,” said a senior police officer. “The case, however, would continue.”

Fire department officials said if the case continues it should become difficult for the organisers to hold the puja next year. In reality, however, this threat is rarely put to use, a department source said.

A similar case was filed against puja organisers in Kumartuli in 2007 but while the case is still on, the puja has not stopped.

Both, the police and the fire department officials evaded a direct reply when asked if the organisers of the Shib Mandir Sarbajanin Durgotsav would be allowed to conduct the pujas this year, despite violating safety guidelines.

“We will have to seek legal opinion on that,” said DIG (headquarters) Jawed Shamim.

Police sources had earlier said there are at least 250 pandals this year that have flouted one or the other rule laid down by the high court.

A Calcutta police officer said: “We’ll try to tell the court that strict adherence of the guidelines by the committees may not be possible this year.”

The organisers called an emergency meeting this evening and then wrote to the fire services department asking them to specify what changes should be made to the pandal.

“The fire services department has sent us a letter saying we have violated norms, but not specified how,” said a committee member. “We have written to them asking them to specify what rectification is needed.”

At the meeting it was decided that if the FIR was not withdrawn, then the celebration would be restricted to members and residents of the area and not be open to the public.