Delhi B&B fire: missing accountantsurrenders; police say cook on tea break had left fryer on

Jay Mishra, an accountant in whose name the bed-and-breakfast (B&B) licence of Flourish Stay was obtained, surrendered before the court of Judicial Magistrate Bhanu Pratap Singh on Monday and was subsequently arrested by the Delhi police in connection with the June 3 Malviya Nagar blaze that killed 22 people. He was remanded in two-day police custody.

The court extended the police custody of Lavkesh Bajaj, the building owner, by two more days. Mr. Bajaj was arrested on the day of the incident and remanded in four-day police custody, which ended on Monday.

The court also dismissed the bail application of Keshav Negi, a cook arrested on June 6, and sent him to 14-day judicial custody.

According to the police, Mr. Mishra was the “frontman” who handled the overall decision-making process.

While Mr. Bajaj is the owner of the building, the B&B licence was registered in Mr. Mishra’s name, a provision made possible by the 2010 amendment to the B&B Act, 2007, which allows an owner to authorise an in-charge person for management for four years and obtain a licence in the person’s name. The Act also requires the person in whose name the licence has been issued to physically reside at the facility.

According to the police, a case was registered against Mr. Mishra in 2024 under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for non-compliance with certain security measures.

Crucial 10-minutes

A senior police officer said it was revealed during Mr. Negi’s interrogation that the fire had started from the kitchen on the ground floor, where he was preparing breakfast for guests. “He had kept an electric oil fryer on for about 10 minutes while making tea for himself. The fryer then exploded and quickly engulfed whatever came in its way, like egg crates, cartons and electrical appliances kept in the kitchen,” the officer said, adding that everything in the kitchen as well as the decorations in the building, including the PVC wall panels, added fuel to the fire.

Meanwhile, the Revenue Department inspected 452 properties across the 13 revenue districts between June 5 and June 8 in a drive launched after frequent fire incidents.

During the same period, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out demolition action at 123 properties and sealed 170 premises across the city, according the Chief Minister’s Office. A report also stated that the MCD issued 106 notices for unauthorised construction, 60 sealing show-cause notices, and 42 demolition orders.

(With inputs from Suruchi Kumari)