‘Facts concealed deliberately’: Delhi's Hauz Rani fire report lists string of lapses

The magisterial inquiry into the deadly Hauz Rani fire has indicted multiple government agencies for a long list of failures on every level.

The magisterial inquiry into the deadly Hauz Rani fire that killed 23 people on June 3 has indicted multiple government agencies for a long list of failures on every level, which, it stated, allowed an illegally expanded building to continue operating as a bed and breakfast despite repeated warnings, official documents accessed by HT show.

The fire in Hauz Rani claimed 23 lives. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

The 111-page report, submitted to the office of the chief secretary of Delhi government earlier this month, points to serious irregularities in the licensing, inspection and monitoring of Flourish Stay B&B, and identifies lapses by at least four authorities -- Delhi Police, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi government’s tourism department and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL). It also blames the building’s owner, management and staff for carrying out unauthorised construction and operating without mandatory safety safeguards.

Hauz Rani fire report

The inquiry is particularly critical of the Delhi Police, the tourism department and MCD, and stated that multiple opportunities to stop the illegal construction and prevent the tragedy were missed due to officials who, in several instances, deliberately concealed facts and overlooked violations over several years.

According to the report, police officials, including the local station house officer (SHO) failed to enforce MCD’s stop-work directions, tourism officials overlooked glaring violations including the rooms not having proper ventilation -- which likely contributed to the deaths of several guests -- while granting the B&B licence, and civic authorities could not prevent the unauthorised construction from being completed despite repeated action.

Delhi Police

The report states that the Malviya Nagar police station -- under whose jurisdiction Flourish Stay B&B operated -- ignored two “work-stoppage” directions issued by MCD under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act in November 2019 and January 2020. This, the report stated, allowed the owner to continue unauthorised construction. It further alleges that the then SHO “concealed” the existence of an earlier complaint regarding illegal construction, received in October 2019, as well as details of an FIR (No. 296/2020) registered in 2020 against the owner following MCD’s request for police action.

Questioning the conduct of the police, the report said that despite receiving directions from MCD and registering an FIR, officers “allowed the owner of the building to continue the work”.

It further noted that the matter was never escalated to senior officers even though the police were aware the building had been constructed unauthorisedly. “The police department did not raise the matter to higher authorities … even after having knowledge that the building was unauthorisedly constructed,” it stated.

The report also points to negligence at the beat level, alleging that the beat officer permitted the construction to continue despite repeated MCD action and suggesting “collusion” between the officer and the building owner.

The inquiry also examined an FIR registered in 2024 against the B&B owner for inadequate security arrangements, including the absence of door-frame metal detectors and security guards. Although the case was settled through Lok Adalat the same year, the report notes that beat staff never flagged any additional violations to senior officers despite continued irregularities at the premises.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Anant Mittal said he is unable to comment as he has not been furnished the report’s copy and is thus unaware of its findings and basis.

Tourism department

The report further directed equally severe at the tourism department, whose inspection committee approved Flourish Stay as a licensed B&B despite glaring discrepancies in facts.

According to the document, the inspection committee “concealed the facts… that the building has no basement and has shown that only four floors have been built by the owner.” The report stated this was done despite the fact that the inspection documents themselves contained a building plan showing a staircase leading below ground.

The inquiry said the inspection team incorrectly “ticked the checklist” that the premises met prescribed standards of repair, hygiene, cleanliness, safety, fire safety and ventilation. It notes that no fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) had ever been issued for the building.

Significantly, the report stated: “Many casualties have occurred due to suffocation and lack of ventilation provisions.” Some of the six guest rooms, the report said, lacked proper ventilation which the report said showed “negligence while conducting inspection of the premises”.

Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra did not respond to HT’s request for a comment on the report allegations.

MCD

The report also questioned the effectiveness of MCD’s enforcement. While civic authorities had issued stop-work notices, lodged complaints with the police and sought enforcement under municipal laws, the illegal construction nevertheless continued and was eventually completed.

It flagged that MCD also wrote to BRPL in 2020 seeking disconnection of electricity to the premises because unauthorised construction was underway.

MCD spokesperson did not respond to HT’s request for a comment on the report.

BRPL

Concerning BRPL, it criticised the utility’s response to MCD’s request dated January 30, 2020, seeking disconnection of the power of the building. Instead of disconnecting power, BRPL sought details of the proposed demolition schedule, which the report describes as a “misinterpretation and wilful ignorance” of MCD’s directions by the then concerned officer.

To be sure, the report found no prima facie fault with BRPL’s electrical infrastructure and ruled out any evidence of a short circuit at the service line, meter or distribution network,

The discom informed the inquiry that its last inspection of the electricity infrastructure at the site was carried out in 2021 and that it was not mandated to conduct routine inspections. It also said records relating to the original electricity connection were unavailable because they dated back to the erstwhile DESU/DVB period.

An official at BRPL, who asked not to be identified, said, “The offending property is sealed/demolished by MCD, and simultaneously electricity and water supply is disconnected… This process is an accepted practice …[but] in the present context, the discom on February 2, 2020, requested the joint action, but it did not receive any response.”

“After the unfortunate incident, the discom’s network, including electricity meters at the property, were found to be intact. And were not the cause of the fire.”

Owner, management and staff

According to the report, the building, originally a two-and-a-half-storey structure was converted into a ground-plus-four building after being purchased by Lovkesh Bajaj in 2023. A restaurant was started on the ground floor the same year and two additional rooms were constructed on the rooftop, none of which had the requisite approvals.

Delhi Police had arrested owner of the building Lovkesh Bajaj, cook Keshav Negi and Jay Mishra in connection with the incident. They have been booked under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash or negligent acts endangering human life, and mischief by fire or explosive substances, at Malviya Nagar Police Station.

Investigators concluded that the fire broke out around 8.30am on June 3 in the kitchen near an electric air fryer. The flames intensified after the LPG hose pipe caught fire and burnt, causing a gas leak that rapidly spread smoke through the ground, first and second floors. Witnesses told investigators that emergency calls were made between 8.15am and 8.45am, while fire tenders reached the building between 9.15am and 9.30am.

The report records statements alleging that head chef Keshar Negi had previously been cautioned over negligent handling of electrical cooking equipment. Negi told the inquiry that he switched on the electric air fryer before attending to other work and later noticed flames near the appliance. The inquiry, however, does not attribute criminal liability to him, instead reconstructing the sequence that led to the blaze.

Beyond assigning responsibility, the report recommends sweeping reforms to prevent similar disasters. It calls for regular structural audits, periodic safety inspections, hazard mapping and mock drills for vulnerable establishments. It recommends clearly defining the responsibilities of each department involved in regulating commercial buildings, strengthening enforcement of fire safety and bed-and-breakfast regulations, and taking immediate action against establishments operating without mandatory approvals.

Significantly, the report also recommends disciplinary and consequential action against officials found responsible for lapses, upgrading the Delhi Disaster Management Authority with modern equipment and trained personnel, and deploying an additional water tender at the Geetanjali fire station to improve emergency response in the area.

Frequently Asked Questions

What triggered the fire at Flourish Stay B&B?+

How many people died in the Hauz Rani fire incident?+

What government agencies were indicted in the report?+

What recommendations were made to prevent future incidents?+