Earlier in the week, 21 people had died in a fire that broke out in a hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar. After questions were raised over security lapses and irregularities in functioning, Delhi Police has arrested a cook and detained several others linked to the incident. The investigation into this case was intensified on Saturday.
Keshav Negi (55), who worked as a cook in the B&B (bed and breakfast) unit of the hotel, was arrested recently, police said. According to preliminary investigation, the fire may have arisen due to his negligence. “The hotel cook, who is another accused, has been arrested. Investigation has revealed that his negligence led to the fire. Some other people have also been detained and are being interrogated,” Delhi Police said.
Officials further said that the investigation is ongoing and the possibility of more arrests cannot be ruled out as officials are piecing together the reasons and sequence of events leading to the accident that took place at ‘Flourish Stage Bed and Breakfast’ in Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar. According to the police, Negi is a resident of Dilshad Garden area. 21 people, including foreign nationals from Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Iraq, Congo, Mozambique and Liberia, including a 16-year-old girl, were killed in a massive fire that broke out at the hotel on the morning of May 3. This arrest took place a few days after this incident.
Police had earlier arrested hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj, against whom a case of culpable homicide has been registered. Authorities are investigating allegations whether fire safety violations, illegal construction and lapses in functioning contributed to the severity of the disaster.
According to the FIR, 28 rooms were being run in the hotel despite permission for only six rooms. The investigating officers have also pointed out the deficiencies in the fire safety system and ventilation system. According to the information received, when the fire brigade team reached the spot, the exit gate of the basement was closed, due to which the rescue teams had to break the door during the operation and go inside.
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