By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
After the arrest of the hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj, Delhi Police have arrested Keshav Negi, a cook, in connection with the devastating fire at a bed-and-breakfast facility in Malviya Nagar that claimed 21 lives and left several others injured.
The blaze tore through the Flourish Stays B&B on June 3, trapping dozens of guests inside the multi-storey building. Many of the victims were foreign nationals who had come to India for medical treatment.
Investigators have already arrested the property’s owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, and are probing multiple alleged safety violations, including the absence of a fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC) and inadequate escape routes.
Police said Negi, who worked as the hotel’s cook, was arrested after questioning revealed that his alleged negligence may have contributed to the fire and its deadly consequences. According to investigators, the fire is believed to have started in the kitchen after an electric stove allegedly exploded.
During the ensuing chaos, Negi reportedly switched off the building’s main power supply before leaving the premises. Police suspect that this action may have disabled electronic door-locking systems, trapping guests inside as smoke rapidly spread through the building.
Negi has reportedly told investigators that he cut the power supply in an attempt to contain the fire after the explosion. Authorities are now reconstructing the sequence of events to determine whether his actions directly contributed to the loss of life.
The arrest has sparked political reactions, particularly in Uttarakhand, where Negi’s family roots are traced. Several leaders have questioned whether a hotel employee is being held responsible for a tragedy that also involved alleged structural, regulatory and fire-safety lapses. However, Delhi Police maintain that the investigation is ongoing and that responsibility will be fixed based on evidence.
Leaders from political spectrum in Uttarakhand on Sunday spoke in one voice to seek justice for Keshav Negi, a cook from Uttarakhand, who has been arrested in connection with the devastating Malviya Nagar fire in Delhi, which claimed 21 lives.
From Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to PCC President Ganesh Godiyal, most of the political leaders took up the issue of Negi, who is facing multiple charges in the hotel fire.
Chief Minister Dhami talked to his Delhi counterpart Rekha Gupta on the issue. Gupta assured Dhami that injustice will not be done with any innocent person as the investigations are based on evidences only.
Senior BJP leaders Trivendra Singh Rawat and Anil Baluni have spoken with senior officials of the Delhi Police on the issue. “We have urged them to ensure a fair, thorough and transparent investigation into the matter so that the truth comes to light and no innocent person is subjected to injustice,” Rawat said.
Godiyal said the arrest of Negi and attempts to make him a scapegoat after this unfortunate tragedy raise serious questions. If he was working merely as an employee, the entire matter must be investigated impartially, and accountability should be fixed on those actually responsible for lapses in safety measures and regulatory compliance.
“Harassing an innocent person under the guise of investigating a tragedy is not justice. Instead of trying to conceal its own failures, the government must ensure a fair and transparent investigation and take strict action against those who are genuinely responsible,” Godiyal said.
Leader of Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly, Yashpal Arya, said Negi was employed as a chef to support his family and his responsibility was limited to preparing food in the hotel kitchen. Holding him accountable for alleged violations related to building safety, fire clearances, illegal construction or commercial activities in a residential area would be unjust, Arya said.
“If fire safety norms were ignored, the building lacked the required permissions, or there were administrative lapses, responsibility must be fixed on those who were actually in charge of managing and operating the establishment,” Arya said in a statement.
Arya urged the Uttarakhand government, Members of Parliament and public representatives from the state to intervene and ensure that Negi receives proper legal assistance and a fair hearing. He also called for an impartial probe into the tragedy.