KARUR: “We could have planned to leave an hour earlier, or stayed back with them, and we could have died together,” a grief-stricken T Prabhu of Karur told TOI over phone from Kolkata, where he lost his two young children and father-in-law in a massive hotel fire on Tuesday night.
Prabhu’s children, Diya, 10, and Rithan, 3, and father-in-law, S Muthukrishnan, 61, were among 14 people who lost their life at Hotel Rituraj in Kolkata’s Mechhua Bazar.
Tragedy struck the family at the end of what was to be a memorable 12-day family tour across northern and eastern India. The bags were packed, checkout was planned and only dinner remained. Prabhu, who runs an aloe vera products business across India, had stepped out briefly with his wife Madhumitha to buy food, leaving behind the children and his father-in-law in Room 313 on the third floor of the hotel. Moments later, a massive fire engulfed the hotel. By the time the couple returned with the food, flames had consumed the building.
“We were planning to check out by 8.30pm after dinner. It all happened so fast,” said Prabhu. “I still cannot believe they are not coming back with us,” he said breaking down.
The family had arrived in Kolkata on the morning of April 29 after touring Delhi, Sikkim and Darjeeling as part of a ‘long-awaited trip’ that began on April 17 from Trichy. They had chosen Hotel Rituraj for their final stop before heading to Chennai and back to Karur. According to official reports, the fire broke out between 7.30pm and 8pm on Tuesday.
Of the 14 people who died, 13 succumbed to suffocation, while one person jumped from the building in panic. Narrating the incident, Prabhu said, “A few people were rescued, but as far as I know now, there was no proper emergency exit for those trapped on all six floors.”
Meanwhile, chief minister M K Stalin expressed his condolences to the family and assured them that the govt would support them during this difficult time. DMK MLA and former minister V Senthilbalaji also extended his condolences. Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Vasan urged the state govt to facilitate transportation of the victims’ bodies to Karur. Prabhu said Karur collector M Thangavel had assured him over phone of assistance in bringing the bodies to the town. Vasan called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

NEW DELHI: To find a long-term solution to traffic jams in South Delhi and parts of Gurgaon, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invited bids for preparing a detailed plan to build an elevated corridor from INA to the Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj. This will be further extended to the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, which will also help reduce congestion on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which comes under housing and urban affairs ministry, had earlier prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for an elevated link from INA to the Mahipalpur bypass but it did not see the light of day. But soon after BJP came to office in Delhi, the Centre and the city govt revived the plan, and a decision was taken to assign this task to the NHAI, considering its expertise in building such road projects. TOI had first reported this on March 16.
“The options of alignment of the route will be proposed by the successful DPR consultant. We plan to bid out the task soon considering the dire need to complete this project. The entire corridor would be around 25 km to 30 km. While most of it would be elevated, in some sections we may have to build small tunnels or underpasses,” said an official.

Sources said once completed, people coming from East and South Delhi, taking the Barapulla elevated corridor, would be able to reach the airport easily as the NHAI will build a tunnel connecting the Nelson Mandela Marg to the Shiv Murti interchange. “The plan is to get a complete solution for commuters going to the airport and Gurgaon. This will reduce congestion on the Ring Road and the huge traffic on the NH-48’s Dhaula Kuan-Gurgaon stretch,” said another official.
Some of the experts who were involved in the earlier proposed elevated road project told TOI that almost four years have been lost and the traffic situation has become worse. “Further delay will result in traffic coming to a standstill on the Ring Road. The govt should explore options of going below the surface to meet the increase in traffic flow as acquiring land and blocking traffic on busy stretches may be tough,” said one of them.
As per the earlier estimate, the INA-Mahipalpur bypass elevated project would have cost around Rs 4,500 crore. Now, the cost is likely to increasewith the plan to go up to the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road.

BHUBANESWAR: Despite facing social stigma due to his criminal history, theft accused Sanjay Swain (43) experienced a dignified moment on Wednesday when Bhubaneswar police invited him to participate in a blood donation drive. He willingly accepted the invitation and contributed as a blood donor.
The blood donation camp which was organised by the commissionerate police witnessed exclusive participation of over 50 other individuals like him who have criminal records. All of them, who were previously arrested on charges of snatching, drug peddling, assault, and sexual harassment cases among others, are currently on bail.
“This initiative, first-of-its-kind in country, is aimed to engage them with the community and encourage them to contribute positively to society through such responsible actions,” commissioner of police S Dev Datta Singh said while inaugurating the camp.
Other police officials said it is a new initiative to bridge the gap between law enforcement and former offenders, marking a significant step toward community rehabilitation.
Among the donors was an alleged chain snatcher Ratnakar Sahoo (20), who, despite his past brushes with the law, found himself sitting alongside other former offenders at the city’s 7th armed police battalion, rolling up his sleeve for a cause greater than himself.
“When the police approached me about donating blood, I was surprised but grateful for the opportunity to help others. It feels good to know that my blood could save someone’s life, regardless of my past,” Sahoo said, holding a certificate of appreciation for donating blood.
Another police officer said: “These people should take this an opportunity to reform themselves and behave more responsibly. We believe in second chances and the power of community engagement.”
Medical officials at the blood bank reported collecting over 50 units of blood during the drive. “Blood doesn’t discriminate, and neither should we. Every donation helps save lives, and today’s donors have demonstrated remarkable community spirit. The blood would be used to treat patients suffering from thalassemia,” a doctor said.
The event has garnered attention from social workers and rehabilitation experts. “This initiative breaks down barriers and helps former offenders reintegrate into society,” said Amrita Mohanty, a local social worker.
Police officials said that all donors underwent standard medical screening procedures, and the collection process followed regular protocols. The department plans to organize similar drives in the future, viewing them as an effective way to promote rehabilitation and community service.