Charge Sheet Filed in Delhi B&B Fire
Delhi Police have filed a nearly 1,500-page charge sheet naming three people in connection with the fire that broke out on June 3 at a bed-and-breakfast establishment in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar, killing 23 people. The charge sheet was filed before a Saket court, according to officials.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal confirmed the filing without providing details, as reported by Hindustan Times. An officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the publication that the charge sheet names Lovkesh Bajaj, owner of Flourish Stay B&B; Jay Mishra, manager and accountant; and Keshav Negi, a cook. The Tribune also reported the filing, naming Bajaj as the property owner.
The charges fall under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 326(g) (mischief involving fire or explosive substances), 324(5) (mischief), 125(a) and 125(b) (acts endangering life or personal safety), and 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), as detailed by Hindustan Times.
Allegations of Regulatory Violations
Police allege that Bajaj exploited bed-and-breakfast rules to operate a 26-room establishment as a hotel, despite an earlier application for a hotel licence being rejected because the property had only one entry and exit point and no fire exit, The Tribune reported. The establishment was permitted only six rooms under B&B norms, the paper added.
According to The Tribune, Bajaj did not reapply for a hotel licence but instead ran the property under the B&B framework. Police also allege that Mishra, described as Bajaj's close associate, submitted a false affidavit and was not residing at the premises, despite B&B rules requiring the owner or operator to stay there. Investigators said Mishra was aware the property had 26 rooms.
Hindustan Times reported that the B&B was running 31 rooms across four storeys, a basement and the roof, with no fire exit. The building was originally a two-and-a-half-storey structure and was converted into a ground-plus-four building without permission after Bajaj purchased it in 2023, the charge sheet says, according to an officer quoted by the publication. A restaurant operated on the ground floor despite permission only for a tea-and-snack outlet, and two additional rooms were constructed on the rooftop, none with approvals.
Sequence of the Fire
Police said the fire broke out around 8.30am in the kitchen near an electric air fryer, Hindustan Times reported. The flames intensified after an LPG hose pipe caught fire, causing a gas leak that rapidly spread smoke through the ground, first and second floors, the publication added.
The Tribune reported that Negi allegedly left an oil fryer switched on, and when he attempted to douse the flames, they grew beyond his control and he fled without alerting guests, neighbours, or emergency services. Hindustan Times reported that Negi switched on the air fryer before attending to other work and later noticed flames near the appliance.
Police have also mentioned that Bajaj visited the spot at the time of the incident and left within minutes, Hindustan Times reported.
Witnesses told investigators that emergency calls were made between 8.15am and 8.45am, while fire tenders reached the building between 9.15am and 9.30am, according to Hindustan Times. The publication had earlier reported that 20 minutes were lost after the nearest fire station was unable to dispatch a tender because of a separate ongoing fire-control operation and a shortage of personnel.
Victims and Investigation
The fire killed 23 people, including foreign nationals, many of whom were in Delhi for medical treatment, both Hindustan Times and The Tribune reported. The charge sheet contains statements from more than 130 witnesses, including public witnesses, and judicial and medical documents, the police said, as reported by both publications.
The Forensic Science Laboratory report is still awaited and will be filed at a later stage, an officer told Hindustan Times. A supplementary charge sheet will be filed after the remaining investigation is complete, The Tribune reported.
Hindustan Times noted that it had not seen the charge sheet.