A fire that killed eight members of a family in Indore has led to a dispute over what triggered the blaze, with the survivor and police giving different accounts.
The incident took place early Wednesday at businessman Manoj Pugalia’s house in Brajeshwari Annexe Colony. Pugalia, his daughter-in-law Simran, and six other relatives, including two children, died in the fire.
His son Saurabh Pugalia survived along with three other family members.
Police said the fire may have started after an explosion at the charging point of an electric vehicle parked outside the house. According to them, the flames spread quickly and engulfed the building.
Saurabh Pugalia, however, rejected that version. Speaking to reporters, he said, "EV charging point is not responsible for the fire. We charge the car daily. But that day, we had not connected it to the charging point. When no charger was connected, it is unclear how a fire or short circuit could occur at the charging point."
He added that videos on social media showed something different. "He said videos circulating on Instagram showed a blast at the electric pole outside the house with sparks falling."
He also denied claims about electronic locks delaying rescue efforts. "It is wrong to say my house has electronic locks. There is no such lock. The house remains open and anyone can verify this," he said.
On the response time, he added, "The timely arrival of fire tenders and ambulances could have saved eight lives."
The state government has ordered a probe into the incident. Chief minister Mohan Yadav said experts will examine what caused the fire and suggest steps to avoid such cases in the future.
Yadav met the family of the victims and offered condolences. He said, "I had sent senior police and administrative officials from Bhopal to the spot on Wednesday after receiving information about the incident. We will get the incident probed by experts."
He also called the incident “extremely tragic and painful,” and said, "We will wait for the detailed probe report and then take appropriate steps so that such incidents do not recur in future."
