New Delhi, June 14: A mysterious CCTV recording showing a masked woman entering a residential building in Delhi's Govindpuri area minutes before a deadly fire broke out has become the focus of an intensive police investigation.
The blaze, which engulfed a five-storey building in Tughlakabad Extension during the early hours of Friday, claimed the lives of three members of the same family and left two others critically injured. The incident has raised fresh questions after investigators recovered footage that may provide crucial clues about the cause of the fire.
According to police, the CCTV camera installed in a nearby parking area captured a woman entering the building at around 2.23 am with her face covered by a dupatta. The footage, lasting nearly 50 seconds, reportedly shows a bright flash or glow from inside the building moments later. The woman is then seen leaving the premises and walking away.
Investigators are now examining whether the woman had any role in triggering the fire. While officials have not confirmed any direct link, they said the footage has prompted them to explore all possibilities.
"The footage is being examined, and all possible angles are being investigated. The identity of the woman is yet to be established," a police source said.
Initially, authorities suspected that the fire may have originated from a short circuit on the ground floor, where several parked two-wheelers were reportedly damaged by flames. However, the CCTV footage has shifted the direction of the investigation.
Forensic experts and local police teams have inspected the site and are analysing evidence collected from the building.
The victims were identified as Pankaj, 28, his sister Soni, 20, and their grandmother Sushila Devi, 70. Pankaj's mother, Guddi Devi, 50, who is speech-impaired, and his younger sister Moni, 18, remain in critical condition.
A PCR call alerting authorities to the fire was received at approximately 2.31 am. Firefighters and police personnel rushed to the scene and carried out rescue operations in the smoke-filled building.
Residents who survived the incident described scenes of panic and desperation.
Prakash Mandal, who lived on the second floor, said he woke up struggling to breathe and found smoke filling his room. Unable to find a safe exit, he used a saree provided by a neighbour to climb down from a balcony.
Another resident, Radheshyam, managed to save his family by breaking through a door and reaching the terrace before escaping onto a neighbouring rooftop.
Several families have now been displaced, with their homes sealed pending investigation and damage assessment. The tragedy comes just days after another major fire in Delhi's Malviya Nagar claimed 23 lives, intensifying concerns over fire safety in the capital.
