Delhi Police Files 1,500-Page Charge Sheet in Hauz Rani Fire Case
Delhi Police on Tuesday submitted a 1,500-page charge sheet in court in connection with the deadly June 3 fire at a bed and breakfast in south Delhi’s Hauz Rani that killed 23 people. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal confirmed the filing of the charge sheet.
The charge sheet names Lovkesh Bajaj, the owner of Flourish Stay B&B, manager and accountant Jay Mishra, and cook Keshav Negi. They have been charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 105 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Section 287 for negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter, and provisions covering mischief causing damage and endangering personal safety.
The document includes statements from 130 witnesses along with supporting records. The Forensic Science Laboratory report remains pending and will be submitted at a later stage, according to police officials.
The blaze broke out at around 8:30 am on June 3 in the ground-floor kitchen, where an unauthorized full-fledged restaurant was running despite permissions limited to a tea-and-snack counter. The fire reportedly started near an electric air fryer after Negi switched on the appliance and stepped away. The flames then engulfed an LPG hose pipe, triggering a gas leak that quickly channeled thick smoke across the ground, first, and second floors.
Investigators stated that the facility was permitted to run only six rooms, but the management operated 31 rooms across four storeys, a basement, and the rooftop, all without a designated fire exit. Originally a two-and-a-half-storey building, the structure was converted into a ground-plus-four complex without civic approvals after Bajaj bought it in 2023. Two additional rooftop rooms and the ground-floor restaurant were also constructed illegally.
Police noted that Bajaj visited the premises during the incident but left within minutes. The disaster killed 23 people, including foreign nationals who were residing in the capital for medical treatment.
According to witness statements, emergency calls were placed between 8:15 am and 8:45 am, while fire tenders reached the site between 9:15 am and 9:30 am. The nearest fire station was unable to immediately dispatch a vehicle due to a concurrent firefighting operation elsewhere and a shortage of personnel.
