Delhi hotel fire: Owner Lavkesh Bajaj's past includes two criminal cases

Delhi Police have arrested Flourish Stay owner Lavkesh Bajaj after the Malviya Nagar fire killed 21 people. The probe now spans alleged safety breaches, missing staff and his earlier forged documents case.

In Short

• Twenty-one people died and several others were injured in the blaze
• More than 40 occupants were rescued from the smoke-filled building
• Police said the property allegedly ran 25 rooms despite six-room approval

As the investigation into the devastating fire at Delhi’s Flourish Stay hotel in Malviya Nagar gathers pace, details of previous criminal cases involving the hotel’s owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, have come under scrutiny. Bajaj, who was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the fire that claimed 21 lives, had earlier been arrested in a case linked to the alleged procurement of forged Indian identity documents and passports for Bangladeshi nationals.

Authorities have also found records of an earlier case related to violations of mandatory hotel safety regulations.

Police arrested the 60-year-old Bajaj on Wednesday evening as part of the ongoing investigation into the hotel fire tragedy. The incident, one of the deadliest hotel fires reported in the national capital in recent years, has prompted a detailed examination of the hotel’s operations, management practices and compliance with safety norms.

FORGED DOCUMENTS FOR BANGLADESHIS

Investigators have now revealed that Bajaj’s name had figured in a major criminal investigation last year. According to police records, an FIR registered at Paharganj police station in January 2025 led to the uncovering of an alleged network involved in supplying forged Indian identity documents and passports to Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in the country.

The case came to light after police received information on January 29, 2025, that a Bangladeshi family was staying in the Paharganj area using fake Indian documents.

Acting on the tip-off, police conducted a raid on a residence and found two women and a minor boy. During questioning, they were unable to produce valid Indian identity documents.

- Ends