'Didn't get NOC, fled after fire': Delhi hotel owner admits
What's the story
Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast in Delhi's Malviya Nagar, has been arrested after a devastating fire at his hotel killed 21 people. During police interrogation, he admitted that he was passing by the hotel when the fire erupted. But instead of stopping, he fled the scene out of fear. He also said he never obtained a Fire Safety No Objection Certificate (NOC) for his establishment.
Investigation update
Owner fled but did not go home
He further said that after he fled, he did not return home, instead spending hours wandering the streets before being apprehended by police. The police are now investigating possible violations of fire safety norms, building codes, and licensing requirements at the property. An FIR has been registered under culpable homicide charges. The police will present him in court at around 2:00pm on Thursday.
Operational claims
Bajaj claims another person managed the B&B
The proprietor also told investigators that he ran the business without any partners. However, he had handed over the day-to-day management of the establishment to one Jai Mishra, who also served as his accountant and who is currently absconding. Bajaj said he didn't have time to manage these tasks himself. The owner also distanced himself from structural changes made to the building like increasing rooms, claiming they were suggested by someone else who assured him such arrangements were "routine."
Document verification
He bought the building in 2022
Bajaj said he bought the building, which then housed a Khadi store, from one Ahluwalia in 2022. According to him, the building was already in a dilapidated state at the time. He initially rented out rooms in the building before converting it into a hotel-cum-guest house. Bajaj stated that he had secured a license to run a Bed and Breakfast (B&B), tourist accommodations, and a health restaurant on the premises. However, investigators are currently determining the authenticity of those permissions.
Hotel
What started fire
According to police sources cited by PTI, the property had permission to operate only six rooms under the Delhi government's Bed and Breakfast policy but it was allegedly operating about 25 rooms, some of which were in the basement. Additional floors were allegedly built over the years without receiving the proper authorization from authorities. Preliminary investigations suggest the blaze may have begun in a ground-floor restaurant after electrical equipment was switched on, but the exact cause is still being investigated.
Panel
Panel formed to investigate safety violations
Following the fire, the Delhi government has constituted a joint committee to investigate safety violations and inspect similar establishments across the capital. India Today, citing sources, said teams composed of officials from the district administration, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Police, and the Power Department would begin inspections across Delhi on Thursday. Authorities have already identified 18 properties in Malviya Nagar that are likely to be scrutinized as part of the exercise.