Lucknow, April 23 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has ordered the additional chief secretary, Public Works Department (PWD), to investigate and submit a report detailing the encroachment on PWD land in connection with Vikas Nagar slum fire incident of April 15 in Lucknow.

The court has also directed the state's relief commissioner to investigate the matter and order the respondent officials to submit their replies by May 13, detailing the incident, the causes and the remedial measures proposed.

The court stated that the district magistrate and the municipal commissioner of Lucknow will file their separate counter-affidavits (replies) in the matter.

The court questioned how, if the PWD owned the land, people could encro...