A judicial magistrate in Delhi extended police custody of the hotel building owner in Malviya Nagar by two days following a fire that killed 21 people.
The blaze at the lodging facility triggered a criminal investigation into safety violations, construction irregularities, and possible negligence. Investigators sought additional time to question the owner about permits, occupancy limits, and fire-prevention equipment at the property.
Twenty-one deaths in a single urban fire intensified scrutiny of unregulated or overcrowded hotels in the capital. Victims’ families and resident welfare associations have pressed authorities for swift accountability and inspections across similar establishments.
Extended custody allows detectives to correlate witness statements with documents seized from the site and municipal records. Fire department reports on exit access, electrical faults, and storage of hazardous material are expected to feature in the inquiry.
The Malviya Nagar tragedy joins a series of Delhi fires that exposed gaps between building codes on paper and conditions on the ground. Court-supervised custody renewals indicate magistrates found the police application met procedural requirements for continued detention.
Rescue workers who pulled bodies from upper floors described narrow stairwells and locked exits that hampered evacuation during the fire. The magistrate’s custody extension applies to the owner while other potential defendants may face separate remand hearings as the file grows.
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Sources:
https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates