Delhi: Flourish Stays owner arrested in 2025 for aiding Bangladesh nationals obtain Indian documents

The owner of the Malviya Nagar hotel where a fire claimed 21 lives earlier this week, had been arrested last year for “facilitating” illegal stay of Bangladesh nationals through allegedly ill-begotten Indian documents, police records show.

Lavkesh Bajaj, proprietor of Flourish Stays B&B, is currently in four-day police custody in connection with the devastating fire at the south Delhi establishment on Wednesday. Investigators are probing the circumstances surrounding the blaze and are searching for other persons associated with the hotel’s management.

According to police, Bajaj was among the accused in a case registered at Paharganj police station on January 29, 2025, over alleged illegal stay of Bangladesh nationals in central Delhi using Indian identity documents obtained through fraudulent means.

The case was filed under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

During the investigation, police found that two persons, identified as Sweety Sarkar alias Beauty Hawladar alias Johra Khatoon, and her daughter Pushpo Sarkar alias Pushpo Hawlader alias Puspo Saiyada Akther, along with Pushpo’s minor son, were residing in a house in Paharganj allegedly on the basis of fraudulently-procured Indian documents, including passports and Aadhaar.

Police said investigation revealed that Sweety Sarkar had obtained the Indian passport using an address in Chattarpur Enclave in south Delhi.

Verification of the address allegedly established that the property belonged to Bajaj.

“During interrogation, Lovekesh Bajaj admitted that he had knowingly permitted the accused persons to use his residential address for obtaining Indian identity documents in lieu of monetary consideration, thereby facilitating their illegal stay in the country,” a senior police officer said.

Based on the findings, Bajaj, Sweety Sarkar and Pushpo Sarkar were arrested in the case. Police later filed a chargesheet against the three accused before a court upon completion of the investigation. A Police Information Report was also submitted regarding the minor child for action as per law, officials said.

The disclosure has come amid the ongoing investigation into the fire at Flourish Stays, which killed 21 people including several foreign nationals, and left many others injured.

Bajaj was arrested on Wednesday evening. After he was presented in court, investigators sought his police remand saying they need to verify details of workers, employees and other persons involved in the operation of the establishment and trace individuals linked to its management.

Police said efforts are underway to locate and question the establishment’s accountant and manager as part of the probe