CCI's first chairman Dhanendra Kumar dies in suspected AC blast in Delhi's Hauz Khas home

At the time of the incident, Dhanendra Kumar, 79, his wife Manju, son Gourav, 49, and two domestic helps were inside the house.

Dhanendra Kumar, the founding chairman of India’s anti-trust watchdog, died after a suspected air-conditioner blast triggered a fire at his Hauz Khas residence late Wednesday night, police said. His son sustained injuries due to smoke inhalation while attempting to rescue him.

Dhanendra Kumar dies after suspected AC unit blast triggers fire at Hauz Khas home

The incident took place around 11pm at the family’s residence in Hauz Khas Enclave.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Anant Mittal said police and emergency personnel rushed to the spot after receiving a PCR call about the fire. “The blaze was brought under control with the help of residents and police personnel,” he said.

At the time of the incident, Kumar, 79, his wife Manju, son Gourav, 49, and two domestic helps were inside the house.

According to police, the preliminary inquiry suggests the fire started after a blast in the indoor unit of an air-conditioner in Gourav’s room. The exact cause will be determined after an inspection by the electrical inspector.

Police said Kumar was found unconscious inside the washroom, apparently due to heavy smoke inhalation. “No burn injuries were found on his body,” an officer said.

He was taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre in a PCR van along with Gourav, who later admitted himself to hospital after complaining of uneasiness caused by smoke exposure. Kumar died during treatment, while Gourav remains under medical supervision and is stated to be out of danger.

An official at the AIIMS Trauma Centre mortuary said Kumar was admitted around midnight and died at 7.50am on Thursday.

Speaking to HT, Kumar’s manager Naresh Sejwal said the fire spread rapidly after the AC unit exploded in Gourav’s room.

“Kumar sir was in the washroom when the fire broke out. The fire spread quickly across the room and lobby. His wife is wheelchair-bound, so Gourav first helped her get out of the house. He then went back inside with two domestic helps to search for his father, but by then he had collapsed in the washroom,” Sejwal said.

The three pulled Kumar out of the house, but he was unconscious, he added.

Sejwal said Gourav, who lives in London with his wife and children and runs a business there, had come to Delhi to take his parents to London for Kumar’s 80th birthday celebrations on June 6.

“Their tickets had already been booked. He had also planned a birthday gathering with friends and family in Delhi on May 30,” Sejwal said.

Kumar’s daughter, Ruchira Kumar, who works with the World Bank in the United States, is expected to reach Delhi on Friday. The postmortem and last rites will be conducted after her arrival, Sejwal added.

A staff member who identified himself as Abhishek alleged that fire tenders reached the spot around 50 minutes after the blaze broke out and that residents and staff had largely controlled the fire by then.

“We don’t know whether their arrival on time would have saved Kumar sir, but they did arrive very late,” he said.

Crime team officials inspected the spot and recorded statements of family members and others present in the house. “No foul play is suspected at this stage,” a senior police officer said.

Kumar, a Haryana cadre official of the 1968 batch, held several key administrative and international assignments during his career. In Haryana, he served as principal secretary to the chief minister between 1991 and 1996 and was also chairman and managing director of the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC). He later became financial commissioner in the Haryana government.

Internationally, he served as executive director at the World Bank from 2005 to 2009, representing India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. He later became the founding chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).