As the investigation into the deadly Malviya Nagar fire gathers pace, Delhi Police have revealed fresh details from the interrogation of Luvkesh Bajaj, the owner of the Bed and Breakfast (B&B) property where 21 people lost their lives.
According to police sources cited by CNN-News18, Bajaj admitted that he fled the scene immediately after the fire broke out. Investigators said he told them he panicked and feared both legal action and public outrage. Instead of returning home, he allegedly spent hours moving around different parts of Delhi in an attempt to avoid arrest before police eventually tracked him down.
During questioning, Bajaj reportedly told investigators that he had purchased the property around three years ago from a previous owner identified as Ahluwalia. Before the sale, the building had reportedly housed a Khadi store (a retail outlet selling hand-spun, handwoven fabrics). Bajaj further claimed that the structure was already in a dilapidated condition when he acquired it.
According to Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officials, Bajaj never applied for a fire NOC. The hotel also lacked adequate fire-safety equipment, they added.
#WATCH | Delhi: Visuals from inside the Hotel Flourish Stays, in the Malviya Nagar area, where a massive fire broke out, claiming the lives of 21 people. pic.twitter.com/O00Rq6LkGC
— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2026
The Malviya Nagar Police Station has registered an FIR against Bajaj under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing damage through fire, acts endangering human life, mischief causing damage and negligence involving combustible substances.
Investigators believe these provisions reflect the seriousness of the alleged lapses that may have contributed to the tragedy.
Meanwhile, forensic experts and fire department officials have launched a joint inspection of the property to determine the cause and spread of the fire.
Delhi Police are also expected to question the previous owner, Ahluwalia, as part of efforts to establish the building's structural history. At the same time, municipal authorities are scrutinising documents related to the property's operation to determine whether the licences and permissions claimed by Bajaj were legally obtained.
VIDEO | Delhi Malviya Nagar fire: A shop owner laid out around 20-22 mattresses from his shop so that people could safely jump on them to escape fire.
Shop owner Armaan says, "I have my shop here, I got information about the fire, there was a massive fire, nobody could get… pic.twitter.com/9mY8uaVhQx
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 3, 2026
According to news agency PTI, a local shopkeeper played a crucial role in the rescue efforts by placing more than 20 mattresses outside the burning building, creating a makeshift landing pit for people trying to escape.
"I have my shop here, I got information about the fire, there was a massive fire, nobody could get inside or come out. Then 7-8 persons somehow entered. Then I put around 20-22 mattresses from my shop and laid them outside, people jumped on it... Most of them were safe," he told PTI.
The hotel was reportedly popular among visitors from African countries travelling to Delhi for medical treatment. Its location near major healthcare facilities, including AIIMS, Max Hospital in Saket and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital, made it particularly attractive to medical tourists.
