'Delhi mein sab chalta hai': 2024 FIR against Malviya Nagar hotel owner for violating safety norms pops up; he blames 'bizman'

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police had filed an FIR in 2024 against Lovkesh Bajaj — owner of the Hauz Rani B&B that caught fire and killed 21 on Wednesday — for violating norms and the absence of safety measures like metal detectors and CCTV cameras in the establishment, cops said on Thursday.

They also kicked off a manhunt for Bajaj’s accountant Jai Mishra, manager Rakesh, and 10 of his staffers who fled the spot after the blaze broke out.

Though the building was constructed over two decades ago, Bajaj had bought it from another businessman three years ago. Modifications to the building, which included increasing the size of rooms and making alterations, were suggested by the businessman, he claimed.



Bajaj said the seller told him such changes were ‘common practice’ and ‘Delhi mein sab chalta hai’, an officer revealed, adding that Bajaj’s claims are being verified.

Why Closest Fire Stn Couldn’t Help

Sources also said that Delhi Police’s licensing wing had turned down his verification report in 2022-23.
Police have sought details from MCD, BSES and DM on approvals, power connections and inquiry findings related to properties linked to Bajaj.

The cause of the fire is yet to be established. Cops are looking for a staffer who allegedly told people at the spot that there was a stove which exploded when switched on, leading to the fire.

Bajaj, who is on four days’ police remand, told cops that he had handed over the management of the B&B to Mishra and the permission to run the facility was also in Mishra's name.

Police said that electric stoves and other appliances, including an oven, have been recovered and were being examined for faults. Besides the angle of LPG leak and short circuit, cops are probing the source of a blast which was reportedly heard before the blaze. Ovens and stoves were provided to guests staying at the hotel for extended periods to cook meals, Bajaj told cops.

Delhi Police has shared the list of the deceased foreign nationals with the foreign ministry and the embassies, and the process to hand over bodies for transportation is under way once autopsy and DNA profiling is conducted. The last three deceased have also been identified, police said.

Bajaj said he had employed Misra at a salary of Rs 20,000 and he was managing two of Bajaj’s other B&Bs in the area.

Regarding allegations of delay of arrival of fire tenders, a senior fire official clarified on Thursday that the closest fire station was located 3km away, but it was already engaged with another fire emergency at the time. “They had left around 7.30am to attend that call and returned to the station only around 10am. As a result, the Nehru Place fire station was tasked with responding to the Hauz Rani blaze.”

Fire tenders from Nehru Place took around 15 minutes to reach the spot.

Bajaj was produced in court on Thursday where police sought his remand for custodial interrogation. Granting four days’ custody, judicial magistrate first class Bhanu Pratap Singh underlined the need for custody “to trace, locate and apprehend the persons whose role has surfaced during investigation”.

The need for recovery of important documents was also cited, relating to ownership and operation of the property, including electricity bills, guest registers, booking records, online booking details, financial records and bank account records.

Prosecutor Gaurav Srivastav, citing the grounds of arrest, submitted that the investigation had revealed “negligence and failure to ensure adequate safety measures for occupants of the premises”, and argued that Bajaj could influence witnesses if “left at liberty”. Opposing the remand plea, advocate Nitin Ahlawat cited procedural lapses and argued that custody was unnecessary as Bajaj was a “victim of the incident himself”.