Lucknow Fire: Co-owner of Building Where 15 Died Under Scrutiny, Neighbours Speak of Seclusion
In the densely populated Madehganj area of Lucknow, the residence of businessman Virendra Prasad Shukla (62) stands locked. Shukla is the co-owner of the Aliganj commercial building where a fire on Monday killed 15 people. He is currently in judicial custody along with three others who had leased the building.
The tragedy has raised questions about the building's ownership and management. Besides Shukla, police have arrested Ramkrishna Upadhyay, T.K. Jaiswal and Suresh Kumar Sahu, who were tenants in the two-storey structure.
Shukla's house, one of the largest in the neighbourhood at about 7,000 square feet, was found locked when visited on Wednesday. Neighbours said they have not seen the family since Shukla's arrest on Monday evening.
Local residents were reluctant to speak publicly. Ravindra Kumar, a grocery shop owner, said, “We are ordinary people. They are wealthy and beyond our reach. We know very little about them.” He added that the family rarely interacted with the community.
Police investigations reveal that Shukla belongs to a prominent business family with interests in education and real estate. The family runs an educational institution offering courses in engineering, management, pharmacy and polytechnic. Younger family members are reportedly educated in medicine, education and law. The family owns multiple properties, some rented out.
Records from the Lucknow Development Authority show the fire-damaged building is jointly owned by Virendra Shukla and his brother, Surendra Shukla. Police are searching for Surendra, whose house nearby was also found locked. Officials have requested criminal background checks on both brothers. Preliminary findings show no prior criminal record for Virendra; rumors about Surendra remain unsubstantiated.
The building housed a pet clinic, a shop, and a company involved in art production and game development. As the investigation proceeds, police are working to fix accountability for the tragedy.
A neighbour, Akash (17), said, “Virendra and his family rarely interact with local residents and generally keep to themselves. Because of that, very few people in the area know much about them.”
