New Delhi, Jun 8 A Delhi court on Monday extended by two days the police custody of the owner of a south Delhi hotel where a fire killed 21 people last week, while remanding the hotel's cook in 14 days' judicial custody.
Judicial Magistrate Bhanu Pratap Singh was hearing the Delhi Police's plea seeking two more days of custody of hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj and judicial custody of cook Keshar Negi, and allowed the plea.
Negi was arrested on Saturday, with investigators alleging that his negligence played a role in triggering the blaze at Flourish Stays Bed and Breakfast in Malviya Nagar's Hauz Rani area.
Seeking further custody of Bajaj, the special public prosecutor told the court that custodial interrogation was required to ascertain the whereabouts and role of another accused, Rupesh, who allegedly worked as the hotel manager.
"The custody of the accused is required to know the whereabouts of another accused, Rupesh, who was the manager of the hotel. We need their custody to investigate the role of Rupesh in the day-to-day activities of the hotel," the investigating officer submitted.
Police also informed the court that the CCTV footage and DVR of the hotel were damaged in the fire, though the mobile phone of the accused had been seized for investigation.
It further told the court that documents related to the hotel were found to be in the name of one Jay Mishra, who allegedly worked as the accountant of the establishment and surrendered before the court on Monday.
Opposing the plea, Bajaj's counsel Nitin Ahlawat submitted that his client had been cooperating with the investigation during the last four days of the police custody.
"I have been in police custody for the last four days and have cooperated with the police. In the last hearing, police sought my custody to find Jay Mishra, the accountant of the hotel. He has now surrendered before the court," Ahlawat said.
Bajaj was earlier arrested and booked under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Officials have said the building lacked a fire no-objection certificate.
Seeking judicial custody of Negi, the police submitted that his custody was required to identify other accused persons connected to the case.
Negi's counsel, Deepak Prakash, opposed the allegations and claimed the cook had acted responsibly after the fire broke out.
"I (cook) have been cooperating with the police, while the police case against me is that I failed to turn off the LPG; but I turned it off and informed the manager about the fire. I tried to control the fire," Prakash told the court.
He further argued that Negi, a 67-year-old man suffering from multiple medical ailments, was being wrongly blamed for the incident.
"The police should carefully investigate the matter and the real facts. I know how to handle the kitchen.
"There was no negligence on my side; it was an act of God. The blast happened in the LPG after the fire went out of control. Nobody had the intention to ignite the fire," the counsel submitted.
Soon after the court remanded Negi in 14 days' custody, his counsel moved a bail application and argued that his client had never been involved in any criminal activity and should be released on bail.
"He has worked in many organisations in the past 45 years. He could be the best witness in the case. Many prominent personalities including the Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami have given statements that his custody is not correct," he said.
However, the special public prosecutor alleged that he was employed at the hotel as a chief cook and could influence other witnesses and the accused in the case.
"The investigation is at a very initial stage. Many people are being interrogated in the case. Releasing him on bail could endanger the ongoing investigation," he said.
Considering the arguments, the court denied him bail and sent him to 14 days of judicial custody.
Several other individuals connected with the establishment have also been detained and are being questioned as part of the ongoing investigation into the fire.
