Police arrests cook in Delhi hotel fire case:Authorities claim he fled first and cut power causing electronic doors to lock

A fire broke out at the Flourish Stay Hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, prompting police to arrest the hotel’s chef, Keshav Negi, as part of the investigation. According to police, preliminary findings suggest the blaze may have been caused by negligence. Media reports quoted Negi as saying that an electric stove in the ground-floor kitchen exploded, triggering the fire, which rapidly spread throughout the building. Investigators allege that Negi switched off the main power supply during the incident, causing the hotel’s electronic doors to lock automatically. Police claim this may have prevented several guests from escaping the building. The fire broke out at the Flourish Stay BB in Hauz Rani, Malviya Nagar, at around 8:30 am on 3 June and quickly engulfed the narrow five-storey structure. A total of 21 people, including 13 foreign nationals, lost their lives in the incident. Police further alleged that the hotel had approval for only six rooms under the Delhi government’s Bed and Breakfast policy but was operating 25 rooms, including some in the basement. Earlier, police arrested the hotel’s owner, Lavekesh Bajaj, who has been charged with multiple offences, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Hotel’s owner was arrested earlier Earlier, police had also arrested the hotel owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, booking him for several charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Bajaj had also spent 15 days in Tihar Jail in 2025, as he was accused of taking money to create fake documents for two Bangladeshi women, and a case was registered by the Paharganj police in that matter. Police say that the hotel was only permitted to have 6 rooms under the Delhi government’s ‘Bed and Breakfast’ policy, but 25 rooms were operating there, some of which were also built in the basement. Hotel staff was the first to flee According to media reports, the hotel staff was the first to flee after the fire broke out, while the people staying there were trapped in smoke and flames. The electric stove in the kitchen exploded as soon as it was turned on, causing the fire. Keshav himself stated that he turned off the hotel’s main power switch and fled the hotel to save his life amidst the dense smoke. Police investigation revealed that when Negi switched off the power, the hotel’s electronic doors locked. Due to Negi’s negligence, many people could not get out of the hotel. Police team went to Bihar in search of hotel accountant Police have also started searching for Jai Mishra, a long-time associate and accountant of hotel owner Bajaj, who has been absconding since the incident. Police sources said that Mishra’s name has appeared in several documents related to the hotel. Efforts are also being made to ascertain if he had a major role in running the hotel. Several police teams have been formed to locate Mishra, and one team has been sent to Bihar, where he resides. Hotel owner said during interrogation, ‘Anything is allowed in Delhi’ The main accused in the accident and hotel owner Lovkesh Bajaj was sent to 4-day police custody by the court on Thursday. When Bajaj was asked how he was operating 25 rooms with a license for 6 rooms, and that there was no fire NOC either. He said, “Anything is allowed in Delhi.” Police sources said that this hotel was being run by three partners. They have several hotels and guesthouses across Delhi. The tourism department license was in the name of Jai Mishra. Bajaj made several more shocking revelations during interrogation. According to the police, Bajaj was passing by the burning building in his car when the fire broke out. The accused stated that he fled due to fear. He did not help anyone and roamed around the city all day. Pictures of the Flourish Hotel fire… 543 people died in fire accidents in Delhi in 6 years After the Malviya Nagar hotel accident, concerns are being raised about fire safety in Delhi. Meanwhile, government data has revealed that 543 people have died in fire-related incidents in the city in the last 6 years. This figure is for fire-related incidents between 2019 and March 2026. In the first 6 months of 2026 alone, 65 people have died in fire incidents. Recently, nine people each died in fire incidents in Vivek Vihar and Palam areas. It was also revealed that the number of emergency calls received by the Delhi Fire Service for fire-related incidents increased from 17,231 during these 6 years to 20,379 in the last financial year. ​