A Delhi court has refused to grant bail to Kesar Negi, a cook arrested in connection with the tragic fire at a hotel in the Malviya Nagar area. The decision was rendered by Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Bhanu Pratap Singh at the Saket Courts, subsequently remanding Negi into judicial custody for a duration of two weeks.
In a parallel development, the court has extended the police custody of Lavkesh Bajaj, the hotel owner, by two more days. The fire incident at Flourish Stays B&B in Hauz Rani, Malviya Nagar, resulted in the loss of 22 lives, including 13 foreign nationals, underscoring the gravity of the case.
Both Bajaj and Negi were apprehended on charges of negligence. However, Negi has contested these accusations in his plea before the South District Court, asserting that he is being unjustly blamed for the systemic safety deficiencies and statutory oversights on the part of the hotel proprietors. Negi, who served as a salaried chef, claimed he had no authority over the establishment’s fire safety measures.
The plea elaborated that the fire’s rapid escalation was attributed to LPG cylinders linked with rubber pipes that melted and leaked. According to the petition, the responsibility for choosing these pipes, the positioning of the cylinders, and the lack of fire extinguishers, alarms, sprinklers, emergency exits, and a valid fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) rests solely with the hotel’s owners and management.
Furthermore, Negi’s plea revealed that the fire originated from a short circuit, which led to the melting of pipes. He informed the court that he had acted prudently by turning off the electricity switches upon realizing the fire was sparked by an electrical fault. He denied allegations of fleeing the scene without alerting others.
More Read
Originating from Uttarakhand, Negi argued that being a senior citizen with health concerns, he meets the criteria for bail. His legal representation was provided by advocates Deepak Prakash, Sriram Parakkat, Divyangna Malik, Priyamvada Solank, and Harshit Sharma.
In a related development, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami recently communicated with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, voicing concerns over Negi’s arrest and advocating for an impartial investigation. In response, Chief Minister Gupta has assured a transparent inquiry into the matter.
