Malviya Nagar hotel fire: Police file charge sheet against hotel owner, 2 others

New Delhi, Sept 1 (AHN) The Delhi Police have filed a charge sheet against three accused, including hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj, in connection with the Malviya Nagar hotel fire tragedy that claimed 21 lives, officials said on Tuesday.

The charge sheet has been filed before the Saket Court and is scheduled to be taken up for consideration on Thursday.

According to police, negligence on the part of the hotel management and alleged violations of safety norms form the basis of the case against the accused.

The devastating fire had engulfed the Flourish Stay hotel in the congested Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar in the early hours, trapping guests inside the multi-storey building.

The blaze claimed 21 lives, including Indian and foreign nationals, and left several others injured.

The blaze affected the basement, ground floor and five upper floors of the multi-storey building, with heat and smoke causing extensive damage, according to the Delhi Fire Services.

Of the 21 people who died in the tragedy, nine were Indians while the others were foreign nationals, including citizens of Bangladesh, Liberia, Nigeria, and Mozambique.

The case was registered under provisions relating to culpable homicide and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following allegations of serious safety violations, regulatory lapses and negligence.

Bajaj was arrested shortly after the fire following a search operation launched by the Delhi Police. A Look Out Circular had also been issued against him and his wife during the initial investigation.

Preliminary investigations had indicated that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze, while investigators also examined whether mandatory fire safety measures and evacuation arrangements were in place.

Police had found that the property was registered under the Bed and Breakfast (B&B) scheme, which permitted operation of only six rooms, but was allegedly being run with around 25 rooms.

Several rooms were also allegedly being operated in the basement, raising questions over compliance with safety and regulatory norms.

The Delhi government had earlier ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and announced a city-wide crackdown against illegal properties, unauthorised guest houses, and establishments operating in violation of fire safety norms and building by-laws.

Bajaj's past criminal record had also come under scrutiny during the investigation. According to Delhi Police sources, he had earlier been arrested in a 2025 case relating to the alleged use of forged Indian identity documents and passports by Bangladeshi nationals.

Police had subsequently filed a charge sheet in that separate case against Bajaj and two others. Bajaj had spent around 15 days in Tihar Jail before being released on bail, and the proceedings in that matter are pending before the court.