The burnt Stephen Court

Calcutta, June 19: Three directors of Stephen Court had neglected the upkeep of the building, according to the chargesheet in the fire case.

“They should have ensured that all the fire safety norms were maintained and the directives of the fire services department adhered to,” an investigating officer said. “But they wilfully did not do so, turning the building into a fire trap. They did not pay heed to repeated reminders from the fire department to discuss with them fire safety measures as it was a high-risk building,” he added.

The three directors — Sanjay Bagaria, Sushil Surekha and Pradip More — are absconding.

Liftman Jaiprakash Singh, the chargesheet said, did not warn or alert others when the fire broke out on March 23 but fled from the scene. As many as 43 people died in the blaze.

Referring to the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Debasish Guha Neogy, one of the residents of Stephen Court, said: “I am happy that such a strong charge has been brought. But there is still a long way to go since the trial is yet to begin. For us, the main concern is to enter our flats and it holds true for several families like us.”

Dipak Bibra, the secretary of the Stephen Court residents’ association, said: “The police may have submitted the tough chargesheet on time, but why have they failed to arrest the three directors who have been absconding? If they continue to abscond, how will we receive justice?”