Delhi hotel fire: Court remands owner, accountant to 12-day judicial custody

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent to 12-day judicial custody the owner and the accountant of a south Delhi hotel where a devastating fire killed 22 people last week.

Judicial Magistrate Bhanu Pratap Singh was hearing the Delhi Police’s plea seeking 12 days judicial custody of hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj and accountant Jay Mishra, as both were produced physically in the court.

The court also directed the jail supervisor to consider providing a medical prescription issued by a doctor to Bajaj.

The June 3 fire at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar, one of the deadliest hotel blazes in the national capital in recent years, killed 22 people and left several others injured.

The investigation is focusing on possible negligence, fire safety violations and alleged lapses in the licensing and operation of the establishment.

The revelations emerged during the interrogation of Bajaj and accountant Mishra after their arrest in connection with the case.

During questioning, Mishra told investigators that he had provided his personal documents for obtaining the bed-and-breakfast licence at Bajaj’s request, while the application process was handled by the hotel owner.

The disclosure has prompted investigators to examine how the licence was obtained in the name of an employee despite Bajaj allegedly being the owner of the building and the establishment.

According to sources, Mishra was also responsible for monitoring compliance with safety requirements, maintaining licence-related documents and handling various legal and operational formalities of the establishment.

When questioned about guest registers, identity records, licensing papers and other documents, Mishra claimed that all records had been maintained at the hotel but were completely destroyed in the fire.

The police, however, are seeking independent verification of the claim. Investigators are collecting records from various government departments, online portals and associated agencies to reconstruct the hotel’s documentary history and determine accountability.

The probe has also confirmed that Mishra was present during the fire incident. According to investigators, he reached the hotel at around 9.30 am after learning about the blaze, when fire department personnel were already carrying out rescue and firefighting operations.

Sources said he remained at the spot for some time before leaving.

Thereafter, he allegedly travelled across different parts of the city using buses and the Metro while following developments through news reports and social media updates.