Malviya Nagar Fire: Hotel Owner Lavkesh Bajaj Confesses He Fled While Guests Escaped Blaze

New Delhi: Investigations into the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast fire in Delhi, which claimed the lives of 21 people on Wednesday, have intensified. Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of the hotel where the horrific fire took place, has said during questioning that he drove past the burning building "out of fear" while people tried to escape the fire.

Bajaj was arrested hours after the incident. During questioning, he said that he simply drove past his burning hotel instead of stopping to help rescue those trapped in the fire. He fled the spot out of fear, according to an NDTV report.

Bajaj acquired the building in 2022 from one Ahluwalia and was operating a hotel-cum-guest house within it. The building previously housed a Khadi store. Even at that time, the building was in a highly dilapidated condition, he said.

Though Bajaj is the sole owner of the B&B, he had handed over the entire management to Jai Mishra. All hotel licences were issued in Jai Mishra's name, he said. The cops are also looking for hotel manager Jai Mishra.

Irregularities come to light

Bajaj confirmed obtaining a licence under the "BnB" (bed-and-breakfast) scheme, under which only six rooms are allowed. However, he was allegedly operating 25 rooms, including some in the basement.

Bajaj to be produced in court today

The Delhi Police are verifying all claims made by Bajaj during the questioning and will produce him before a court today at around 2 pm. The police are likely to seek a five-day remand for him.

Several of those killed are reportedly foreigners, mainly from Central Asia and Africa.