Delhi Police File Chargesheet in Saket Court Over Fatal Tughlaqabad Arson
Delhi Police on Monday submitted a 400-page chargesheet before a Saket court, detailing how an alleged dispute over an Rs 80,000 debt led to an arson attack at a five-storey residential building in southeast Delhi's Tughlaqabad Extension in June, resulting in the deaths of four family members who had no connection to the conflict.
According to the chargesheet, three accused persons—identified as 27-year-old Sarita and two brothers, 33-year-old Niranjan and 27-year-old Rajkumar—have been formally charged in connection with the fatal blaze. More than 40 individuals have been named by investigators as witnesses in the case.
The findings submitted to the court outline that Sarita had an ongoing monetary dispute concerning an Rs 80,000 loan with Deepak, a resident living in the Tughlaqabad Extension building. Police stated that Sarita hatched a conspiracy and engaged a minor to set fire to Deepak's motorcycle, which was parked in the ground-floor parking area of the structure.
After the motorcycle was set ablaze, the flames rapidly spread through the five-storey building, trapping residents inside. Four members of a single family lost their lives in the resulting fire. The deceased were identified as Pankaj Pandey, 28, his sister Soni, 20, their mother Guddi Devi, 50, and their maternal grandmother Sushila Devi, 70. Police confirmed that the victims had no link to the underlying financial row.
Delhi Police have invoked multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the accused trio. The charges include Section 61 for criminal conspiracy, Section 105 for culpable homicide, Section 110 for attempt to commit culpable homicide, Section 326(g) for mischief by fire, and Section 331(4) for lurking house-trespass by night.
Additionally, investigators invoked Section 95 of the BNS against the accused, a provision that specifically addresses hiring, employing, or engaging a child to carry out an offence, following findings that a minor was enlisted to ignite the motorcycle.
