Delhi hotel fire: Cook Keshav Negi arrested as probe probes negligence

A fire broke out at the Flourish Stays Bed and Breakfast in Delhi's Malviya Nagar (Hauz Rani) on the morning of June 3, killing 21 people, including 13 foreign nationals, and injuring dozens more.

Police arrested the hotel's cook, 65‑year‑old Keshav Negi, and placed him in two days of police custody. During interrogation Negi told investigators that an electric stove in the kitchen exploded after he switched it on and that he panicked, turned off the building’s main power supply and fled. Authorities say the power cut may have disabled the hotel’s electronic door‑locking system, potentially trapping guests.

Hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj was also arrested and booked on charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Investigators are examining alleged safety violations: the property was operating 28 rooms despite a licence for only six, lacked a fire‑no‑objection certificate, and the basement exit was locked when rescue teams arrived. The owner’s accountant, Jay Mishra, has been declared absconding and is being sought in Bihar.

The probe is focusing on possible negligence, unauthorized construction, and failures of fire‑safety systems as it seeks to determine the exact cause of the blaze.