Delhi Police reveal Malviya Nagar B&B owner had hotel licence rejected in 2022
Following a massive fire that killed 23 people at a bed and breakfast facility in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar, Delhi Police investigators have revealed that the property owner had his application for a hotel licence rejected in 2022.
The owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, was arrested along with two of his employees shortly after the blaze. Investigators are currently gathering documents related to the facility, known as Flourish Stay, to build their case.
According to police sources, Bajaj applied to the Delhi Police Licensing Department in August 2022 for a licence to operate a hotel at the premises. The application was rejected because Bajaj did not possess a mandatory health and trade licence from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), nor did he have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Service (DFS).
At the time, the Delhi Police only issued final hotel licences after applicants submitted all civic clearances, revenue records, and fire safety clearances. Since then, the licensing system was revised in 2025, and the Delhi Police no longer issue these licences.
Police officials stated that Bajaj, who lived in the Hauz Rani area, had been involved in the medical tourism business since 2012. He also owned a property in Chhatarpur to accommodate medical tourists.
In 2022, Bajaj purchased the three-storey house in Hauz Rani and began constructing three additional floors to expand his business. Despite only having approval for six rooms under the Bed and Breakfast (B&B) scheme, Bajaj went on to operate 26 rooms at the facility.
To obtain approval under the B&B scheme, which is administered by the Delhi Tourism department, the owner is required to reside on the premises. Police allege that Bajaj circumvented this rule by presenting his accountant as the owner of the property to the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), which then issued the licence.
The investigation into the incident and the safety violations at the property is still underway.
