What was the big revelation after 21 deaths in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar Hotel fire? Could deaths in B&Bs operating without Fire NOC and safety standards have been prevented? Is illegal expansion of 25 rooms despite permission for only 6 rooms an administrative negligence? Does the owner fleeing the scene at the time of the fire and the manager missing make the investigation more suspicious?
New Delhi: A massive fire that broke out in ‘Flourish Stay B&B’ hotel in Malviya Nagar area of South Delhi on Wednesday morning shocked the entire capital. So far 21 innocent lives (Indian and foreign nationals) have been lost in this tragic accident. During the interrogation of hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj, arrested by Delhi Police on Wednesday night, many such shocking and horrifying truths have come to light, which have raised serious questions on the administrative system.
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Owner’s shocking confession: “He ran away out of fear”
During interrogation, Lavkesh Bajaj gave such a statement to the police that even the investigating officers were surprised. Bajaj confessed that he was present near the ‘Flourish Stay B&B’ when the massive fire broke out in the hotel on Wednesday morning. He saw flames and clouds of smoke rising before his eyes. But instead of saving the lives of the relatives of the helpless patients and foreign tourists trapped inside or informing the fire department, he silently fled from the spot out of fear. Bajaj told that he did not even go to his home, but kept wandering on the streets of Delhi as a vagabond for several hours until he was caught by the police.
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Biggest revelation: Fire safety NOC was never taken!
The biggest and surprising suspense of this case was revealed when Bajaj admitted that he had never taken ‘Fire Safety NOC’ (No Objection Certificate) for this building. According to officials, the structure of this dilapidated building was such that it could never have got a fire NOC under the existing rules.
Maze of death: Sensor doors stop breathing
Investigation has revealed that there was only one narrow path for entry and escape in the entire building. When the fire broke out from the restaurant’s electrical equipment on the ground floor and spread upstairs, the hotel’s windows were completely closed and the main door was sensor-operated. As soon as the power was cut, the sensor doors were locked, the windows did not let the smoke out and the entire hotel became a gas chamber, from which people did not get a chance to get out.
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6 rooms were permitted and 25 rooms were being run; Death trap was laid in the basement also
The game that was played regarding the licensing rules is very shocking. Under the ‘Bed and Breakfast’ (B&B) scheme of the Delhi government, this building had received legal approval to operate only 6 rooms. But crossing the limits of greed, Bajaj was running it as a big hotel with 25 rooms. The limit was reached when rooms were made even in the basement, keeping the safety standards in mind. Police are now investigating how many more floors were erected on the building illegally without permission.
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Who is Jai Mishra? Mysterious game of ‘Accountant’ name on papers
Lavkesh Bajaj has played another big card to save himself. He told the police that he was the sole owner of this business, but he had handed over the entire day-to-day work of the hotel to his accountant ‘Jai Mishra’. The matter of suspense is that many important and important government documents related to the operation of the hotel are registered in the name of Jai Mishra instead of Lavkesh. Licenses were also issued in Mishra’s name only. Police suspect that Mishra was being used as a pawn. At present Jai Mishra is absconding and the police is conducting raids in search of him.
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Court appearance and Delhi government’s ‘Mega Clean-up’ action plan
Accused Lavkesh Bajaj will be presented in the court today at around 2 pm. Delhi Police will seek his remand of 3-4 days from the court so that the missing records can be recovered and the dark deeds of the other three hotels owned by Bajaj can also be investigated. Meanwhile, waking up to this horrific negligence, the Delhi government has constituted a joint high-level committee of the district administration, MCD, Delhi Police and Electricity Department to crack down on illegal hotels running across the capital, which will conduct investigations across Delhi.