New Delhi: Inadequate fire-safety measures and an attempt to maximise profit by flouting building norms resulted in the loss of 23 lives in a devastating fire that tore through a bed and breakfast in south Delhi’s Hauz Rani on June 3, according to a chargesheet filed by Delhi Police Tuesday.Investigators named three accused in the case: Lovkesh Bajaj, owner of Flourish Stay B&B, manager-cum-accountant Jay Mishra, and cook Kesar Negi.According to the chargesheet, the fire originated in the kitchen of the B&B, apparently from an unattended oil fryer that Negi allegedly left unattended while oil was heating and went to make tea, police sources said. “After 10-15 minutes, the oil caught fire. This amounted to complete negligence,” the sources added.In the 1,687-page chargesheet regarding the blaze that killed 23 people, including 14 foreigners and eight members of an Indian family, and left 20 others injured, the investigators charged the accused with deliberately disregarding basic fire-safety norms and illegally expanding the property to maximise commercial returns. They were aware of the risks posed by operating a commercial establishment without adequate fire-safety arrangements, but continued to do so, cops further alleged.The chargesheet invoked Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 326(g) (mischief by fire or explosive substance), 324(5) (mischief), 125(a) and 125(b) (acts endangering life or personal safety) and 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire).It is based on statements of more than 130 witnesses, including members of the public, along with reports from BSES, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) and preliminary Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) inspections. The final lab report is awaited.A key finding of the probe concerns the alleged illegal expansion of the property. While Flourish Stay was licensed to operate only six rooms, its management was allegedly running at least 25 across four floors, a basement and an improvised rooftop facility. On top of that, the building lacked an emergency fire exit.Police alleged that Bajaj had altered the building’s structure despite knowing that it had only one entry and exit point. “He earlier applied for a licence but did not get it because of the single entry and exit. He then started the B&B, for which a fire no objection certificate (NOC) was not sought,” the source said.Bajaj entrusted Mishra with the day-to-day management of the B&B, with several operational licences maintained in the latter’s name. Mishra claimed that he used to stay at the property, but investigators found otherwise. He allegedly said that only two floors and six rooms were being used, a claim police said was contradicted by their investigation.The disaster unfolded on the morning of June 3, catching sleeping guests off guard. At 8:35 am, the fire broke out on the ground floor, apparently in the kitchen. Flames rapidly spread to nearby combustible material, generating dense black smoke that travelled up the central staircase, the building’s primary passage.Guests trapped on the upper floors suffered severe burn injuries and respiratory distress, with several losing consciousness due to smoke inhalation.The first distress call was received by emergency services at 8:48 am. Fire tenders reached the spot at 8:55 am but faced difficulty navigating Hauz Rani’s narrow and congested lanes. Firefighters used ladders, cutters and breathing apparatus during the operation, pulling out 48 people between 9 am and 11:30 am. The fire was brought under control around noon.
