• Reporter Injured
• Cameras of Reporters Snatched
• Photos forcefully Deleted
• Press Club files complaint

A section of Ramada Hotel, the erstwhile Lotus Hotel, located at the Rampura Chauraha was engulfed in flames today early morning. The hoteliers not only delayed communication with administrative authorities, they even restrained the media personnel from doing the press coverage and also allegedly manhandled news correspondents.

A police case has been lodged against the hotel staff, by Akhtar Khan, President of Lakecity Press Club.

According to the sources, the fire occurred early morning today at around 6 and when hotel employees didn’t call for help from authorities, few local residents informed the fire brigade at 7 am.

Nearly half a dozen fire brigade vehicles rushed to the scene and tried to control the fire that gutted the laundry store of the hotel situated on the first floor of the hotel. While, fire extinguisher team was controlling the situation, local media reporters arrived at the scene to cover the mishap. According to reports, hotel authorities stopped few photo journalists and press reporters from covering the incident and allegedly mishandled the reporters.

Cameras of two reporters from local print dailies were snatched by hotel employees, however the cameras were later returned after deleting the photos of the coverage.

Enraged media personnel called Tejraj Singh, ADSP (City) and informed about the situation; Tejraj Singh along with other senior police officials arrived at the hotel and took the situation under control.

Akhtar Khan, President of Lakecity Press Club strictly objected on the hotel’s misbehavior with media personnel and demanded strict police action against Ramada Hotel’s employees.

No officials or authority from hotel were present to comment on the issue. A police complaint has been lodged against the hotel staff at Nai Police Station by Akhtar Khan.

Four journalists Kabeer Jethi, Avinash Jagnawat, Chanchal Sanadhya and Krishna Tanwar were victims of alleged manhandling by hotel employees. Kabeer also received minor injuries in the scuffle and was later taken to Nai hospital.

“I came to cover the news, but they stopped me, thereafter I closed my camera and stood there, yet few of the employees of the hotel physically abused me and took my camera”, said Kabeer.

Photo journalist of a local daily, Krishna Tanwar also complained of the misbehavior by hotel employee; Krishna’s camera was also snatched by hotel workers and returned after deleting all photos.

Akhtar Khan, the senior reporter and President of Lakecity Press club said, “Media personnel didn’t ignite fire in the hotel, then why were the reporters ill-treated”.

Khan continued, “Firstly, the hoteliers didn’t inform city administrative authorities and secondly, the restriction on media from covering the incident; both these facts reflect that the hotel is trying to hide their mistake”.

Confronting the media, DYSP (Tribal) Ata-ur-Rahman affirmed that a complaint has been lodged by Press Club. ADSP said, “Apart from misbehavior with media representatives, the complaint also includes damages caused to reporters’ cameras and a missing lens of one of the photo journalist”.

Mahaveer Sharma, C. I. of Nai Police Station affirmed delay of reporting from Hotel authorities. Sharma informed, “The case has been lodged against the owner of the hotel Ratan Taldar and his brother Sunil Taldar, along with the Accounts Executive Kanchan Lalwani, security guards and few other staff of the hotel”.

Initially, the reason of fire is considered to be electric short circuit.

No casualties have been reported in the outbreak; however hotel property, including items stored in laundry room were destroyed in the fire.