• Source:JND

Delhi Hotel Fire Tragedy: A day after a massive fire incident at a hotel in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, which claimed 21 lives, a city court on Thursday sent the commercial building owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, to four days' police custody. Judicial Magistrate Bhanu Pratap Singh allowed the Delhi Police's plea seeking the accused's custodial interrogation for four days. Police believe Bajaj had the option of fleeing abroad as both his children are settled overseas. As a precautionary measure, a Look Out Circular has been issued against him and his wife.

Many of the victims of the fire that broke out in Flourish Stay B&B on Wednesday morning were foreign nationals staying at the hotel while attending to relatives undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The preliminary reports suggest that the hotel management violated several safety norms. The fire incident triggered widespread public outrage, after which the Rekha Gupta government vowed to punish the culprits.

Here Are The Latest Updates In The Fire Incident:

- After the cilling incident, police registered a case under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 326(g) (offence of mischief by fire), 324(5) (wrongful damage of property), 125(a) (negligence act that endangers human life and safety), 125(b) (grievous hurt by negligence) and 287 (negligence conduct with respect to fire) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

ALSO READ: Malviya Nagar Fire Tragedy Was Waiting To Happen: How Safety Violations Turned Five-Storey Building Into Death Trap

- Delhi Police on Thursday scoured the fire-ravaged hotel building in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar and found that the exit to the roof was blocked and that cooking heaters were being used in multiple guest rooms. Police formed five dedicated teams to trace and arrest the manager of the hotel, Jai Mishra, who remains absconding.

- Investigators are looking at all aspects, including alleged violations of building norms, fire safety lapses, illegal construction, the actual ownership of the bed and breakfast establishment and the circumstances that may have contributed to the high death toll.

ALSO READ: Malviya Nagar Fire: Why Hotel Manager Jai Mishra Is Under Police Radar After Owner Lavkesh's Revelations About Him

- Delhi LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Thursday directed Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials to come up with a plan to "target, halt and dismantle" unauthorised constructions in the city. Chairing a high-level review meeting of MCD, Sandhu emphasised on a comprehensive action plan for stronger urban governance, improved civic infrastructure and enhanced structural safety across the capital.

- A team from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) is scheduled to revisit the site to conduct a detailed examination of the building and determine the precise cause of the blaze.

- The probe has further revealed alleged large-scale violations in the operation of the property. According to investigators, the property was purchased by Bajaj from a person identified as Ahluwalia in 2022. At the time of the purchase, the building consisted of two-and-a-half floors and Bajaj subsequently added more floors, taking the structure to nearly five storeys.

- Police sources said Bajaj initially rented out rooms to customers and obtained a licence for operating a tea shop. Over time, the property was converted into a bed-and-breakfast and operating as an establishment far beyond what it had permissions for.

- Investigators have found that while Bajaj was the real owner of the property, the bed-and-breakfast licence was obtained in the name of Jai Mishra, the sources said. Mishra, who was hired by Bajaj in 2022, was handling the day-to-day operations of the establishment, including accounts and management. Before joining Bajaj at the hotel, Mishra worked as an accountant with a private firm in the Malviya Nagar area, they said.

- The establishment had permission for only six rooms under the Delhi government's bed-and-breakfast policy but was allegedly operating around 25 rooms, including some in the basement.

- Officials have said the building did not possess a mandatory fire safety clearance despite allegedly exceeding the height threshold requiring a No Objection Certificate from the Delhi Fire Services.

- The structure housed a restaurant on the ground floor while the basement and upper floors were being used for guest accommodation.

- Investigators are also examining allegations that sealed windows, a single entry-exit point and a sensor-operated main door hampered evacuation efforts.

- Max Hospital in Saket said 15 patients injured in the fire at a hotel in the Hauz Rani area here are currently admitted and undergoing treatment; 13 of them are foreign nationals.

(With PTI Inputs)


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