A probe by the government into this incident revealed that illegal construction of two floors and the lack of adequate fire-fighting equipment were major factors that contributed to the blaze getting out of control.

[1] Arathoon Stephen (1861 – 14 May 1927) was a member of the Armenian community of Kolkata who spent huge amounts of money to help shape the economic growth of the city.

This company, apart from owning several other heritage structures in Kolkata, built a three-storey building on land leased by Peter Charles Earnest Paul and named it after himself.

[3] At the time of the construction and regularisation of the two illegal floors, the civic laws of Kolkata required a fire clearance for any structure above the height of 18 metres (59 ft).

Thought to be from a short circuit from a lift in between the fifth and sixth floors, the fire spread upwards and sideways, engulfing the whole building in flames.

Protesters gathered in front of the building demanding taller ladders to be used to rescue people trapped on the fifth and sixth floors.

A charge sheet prepared by the police named the three directors of Stephen Court Ltd. and the two caretakers for the lack of maintenance of the building.

[4] Further investigation revealed a lack of maintenance of the electrical circuitry leading to exposed live wires in the basement, which combined with the wooden main stairs made the building a tinderbox.

[4] As portions of the fifth and sixth floor had crumbled during the fire, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation on the advice of the forensic team,[4] took the decision to demolish the top two storeys of the building but had to stop the operations after a section of the owners moved the high court.

[10] A few residents were allowed to use the building weeks after the fire but had to sign personal risk bonds, absolving the civic authorities of any liability in case of injury for a period of six months.

By pooling a fund from the owners of the flats, they repaired the broken pillars, replaced the staircases, and renovated the soot-covered exterior.