In the aftermath of a catastrophic fire breakout at a Delhi Hotel which claimed 21 lives, the city police on Wednesday late night arrested the establishment’s owner. The development comes as the cops continue to unearth a series of alleged safety lapses and building regulation violations that may have contributed to one of the capital’s deadliest fire disasters in recent years.

The arrested accused, according to police, has been identified as Lavkesh Bajaj, owner of the building that lodged the Flourish Stay Bed and Breakfast establishment in Malviya Nagar. The arrest was made hours after a massive inferno tore through the five-storey property in the densely populated Hauz Rani area of the national capital.

Among the 21 persons who met the ill-fate were 18 foreign nationals hailing from several countries, including African nations, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, underscoring the international dimension of the tragedy.

Lookout notice had been issued against Bajaj

Officials in the know of the development said that post-incident, the cops had issued a lookout circular against Bajaj and his wife, and later launched a manhunt to trace them. Concurrently, a case had been booked against them under provisions pertaining to culpable homicide and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

They added that a probe into the disastrous incident is still underway and that the involvement of other persons linked to the hotel is also under scrutiny.

Hotel had been operating without fire NOC

Preliminary findings and revelations made by Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood suggest that the hotel was allegedly operating without a mandatory fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC) and was also found to be flouting several fire safety norms.

Officials further said that the building reportedly had only a single entry and exit point, while windows remained sealed permanently. Additionally, a sensor-operated main entrance door is also believed to have impeded the evacuation efforts as panic spread through the smoke-filled structure.

According to police, the aforementioned factors may have reduced the chances of escape for guests trapped inside the building significantly.

Delhi LG orders citywide inspection drive

Almost a day after the heart-wrenching incident, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Taranjit Singh Sandhu has ordered a month-long inspection campaign targeting hotels, nursing homes, coaching centres, restaurants and other commercial establishments in the city, which appear vulnerable to fire hazards.

Separately, Home Minister Sood has directed the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) and the Power Department to execute a comprehensive verification of Bed and Breakfast properties across the city.

Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Rekha Gupta said the government was closely monitoring the situation and had sought an in-depth report on the incident. Meanwhile, opposition leaders renewed criticism over recurring fire-related disasters in the national capital, raising calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations.