Delhi hotel fire: Owner was arrested last year for helping Bangladeshis stay illegally in India

The owner of the hotel in Delhi where a fire killed 21 persons including several foreign nationals on Wednesday was arrested last year for allegedly helping Bangladeshi nationals to stay illegally in India, police said on Friday (June 5).

Lavkesh Bajaj, proprietor of Flourish Stays B&B in Malviya Nagar, is currently in four-day police custody in connection with the devastating fire at the south Delhi establishment. Investigators are probing the circumstances surrounding the blaze and are searching for other persons associated with the hotel's management.

What police said

According to police, Bajaj was among the accused in a case registered at Paharganj police station on January 29, 2025, over alleged illegal stay of Bangladeshi nationals in central Delhi using Indian identity documents obtained through fraudulent means.

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The case was filed under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

During the investigation, police found that two persons, identified as Sweety Sarkar alias Beauty Hawladar alias Johra Khatoon, and her daughter Pushpo Sarkar alias Pushpo Hawlader alias Puspo Saiyada Akther, along with Pushpo's minor son, were residing in a house in Paharganj, allegedly based on fraudulently procured Indian documents, including passports and Aadhaar.

Police said the investigation revealed that Sweety Sarkar had obtained the Indian passport using an address in Chattarpur Enclave in south Delhi.

Verification of the address allegedly established that the property belonged to Bajaj.

Bangladeshis arrested

"During interrogation, Lavkesh Bajaj admitted that he had knowingly permitted the accused persons to use his residential address for obtaining Indian identity documents in lieu of monetary consideration, thereby facilitating their illegal stay in the country," a senior police officer said.

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Based on the findings, Bajaj, Sweety, and Pushpo were arrested in the case. Police later filed a chargesheet against the three accused before a court upon completion of the investigation. A First Information Report (FIR) was also submitted regarding the minor child for action as per law, officials said.

The disclosure has come amid the ongoing investigation into the fire at Flourish Stays.

Bajaj was arrested on Wednesday evening. After he was presented in court, investigators sought his police remand, stating that they needed to verify the details of workers, employees, and other persons involved in the operation of the establishment and trace individuals linked to its management.

Police said efforts are underway to locate and question the establishment's accountant and manager as part of the probe.