New Delhi: For the family which lost its loved ones in the Tughlaqabad building fire, the finding that the blaze was not an accident, but an alleged act of revenge, has only deepened the grief.“Why us?” one of them asked, struggling to understand how innocent people with no connection to a dispute ended up dying.Bam Bam Jha is the son of 70-year-old Sushila Devi who died in the fire along with her grandson Pankaj Pandey and granddaughter Soni. Family members said Pankaj died while trying to save his family. He rushed back into the burning building to rescue them.Jha said he learnt about the alleged conspiracy from news reports. “We have been busy with the last rites of our loved ones. I got to know from the news that this was not an accident. I haven’t even had the time to watch the CCTV footage that police said shows the girl entering the building and setting a scooter alight,” he said.Jha demanded strict action against those responsible. “I lost my mother, my nephew and my niece. Our family is shattered. This should be treated as murder. People who had no connection to the alleged feud ended up dying,” he told TOI.The tragedy has also left dozens of residents displaced as the building is still sealed. The residents are unable to access their belongings.Among them is Radhe Shyam, who escaped from the fifth floor with his wife and three daughters. Having purchased the flat just two years ago after investing his life’s savings, he now finds himself without a home.“My family is originally from Bihar. We don’t have close relatives here who can support us for too long. My daughters are 16, 18 and 21 years old. The eldest is preparing for her CA examinations and we were trying to secure college admission for the younger one. We have so many responsibilities, but right now we don’t even know when we will be allowed back into our home,” he said.Ram Nath, a resident whose motorcycle and home were destroyed, said that he and his brother continue to pay an EMI of Rs 19,000 for their flat despite being unable to live there.“Our wives and children are staying with relatives in Ayodhya, but that cannot do so indefinitely. Once schools reopen, we want our children to study here. Right now, we have no clarity about where we will live,” he said.
