Malviya Nagar Blaze: Chef Arrested As Delhi Police Intensify Probe Into Deadly Hotel Fire

Investigators are scrutinizing systemic safety failures at the South Delhi bed and breakfast facility as the arrest count rises to two in the aftermath of the tragedy.

The investigation into the catastrophic fire at a Malviya Nagar bed and breakfast has taken a significant turn with the arrest of the facility’s chef. Keshav Negi, 65, was taken into custody by Delhi police over the weekend, with officials alleging that his personal negligence may have played a pivotal role in triggering the blaze. The incident, which occurred three days prior, resulted in a harrowing death toll of 21 people, including several foreign nationals.

Following his arrest, a Saket court granted police two days of custody to interrogate the Dilshad Garden resident. While authorities have remained tight-lipped regarding the specific legal charges invoked against the cook, the move marks a widening net in a case already defined by severe regulatory scrutiny. Mr. Negi is the second individual to be arrested; the hotel’s owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, was taken into custody shortly after the fire, facing charges that include culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

A Web of Safety Lapses

Beyond the individual culpability of staff, the tragedy has cast a harsh spotlight on the operational standards of budget hospitality facilities in South Delhi. Preliminary findings from the police inspection suggest a complete disregard for fire safety protocols. Investigators noted that the building lacked the mandatory Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) and relied on a single, dangerous entry-exit stairway—a design flaw that proved fatal when smoke and flames engulfed the premises.

The search for justice is now extending beyond the capital’s borders. Police are actively hunting for the hotel’s manager, Rakesh, and its accountant, Jay Mishra. A dedicated investigative team has been dispatched to Bihar to track down Mishra, as officials work to reconstruct the chain of events leading up to the fire. By examining the statements of surviving staff and analyzing forensic evidence, the police aim to determine whether the facility was operating in a state of institutional negligence.

The Broader Impact

This tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the risks associated with the proliferation of unregistered or poorly regulated B&Bs in densely populated urban areas. As the legal proceedings unfold, the focus remains on how such a facility could operate without basic fire safety compliance. For now, the families of the victims—many of whom were visitors from abroad—await answers as the police continue to comb through the evidence to establish whether this was a preventable disaster born of systemic indifference.