Malviya Nagar Inferno: Arrested B&B Owner Shows Little Remorse

Even as authorities probe the causes and alleged lapses behind the deadly fire at Flourish B&B in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, initial reports now centre on the role of the stay’s owner Lavkesh Bajaj.

In his 60s, Bajaj was arrested by the Delhi Police on Wednesday, after a Look Out notice for him had been issued.

According to media reports, Bajaj resides close to the property where the devastating fire claimed 21 lives. The police said Bajaj fled after seeing the fire from the main road itself. He changed his locations and vehicles multiple times before the police nabbed him.

The accused, in police custody, revealed that he purchased the building in 2022. Then a three-storey building, it was converted into the Flourish Bed & Breakfast stay. According to Indian Express, Bajaj said ‘Delhi mein sab chalta hai (anything goes in Delhi)’ when questioned about unauthorised expansion of rooms in the building.

While the building is around four decades old, it saw renovations recently . A Delhi Fire Services  official said Bajaj had installed wooden and plastic frames inside as well as outside the building making it more vulnerable to fire. Initial reports hint at a possible short circuit causing the fire.

Even as the No Objection Certificate granted to the stay from the fire department mentioned only four rooms, the facility was illegally expanded to 26 rooms.

The bed & breakfast stay was registered as part of the B&B policy introduced by the Delhi government during the Commonwealth Games.

While the policy allowed home owners to register their residences as stays for tourists, Bajaj allegedly deceived the Delhi Tourism Department- the licensing authority under B&B policy- by showing his aide Jay Mishra as the private owner and resident of the stay. Mishra, as per reports, is also associated with two other properties owned by Bajaj which are under the scanner for regulatory violations.

Charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder have been mentioned in the FIR following the tragedy.