NEW DELHI: The owner of a Malviya Nagar guest house where a fire killed 21 people has told police during interrogation that he did not have time to personally manage or oversee the premises, sources said.Accused Lavkesh Bajaj, who was arrested after the blaze, also told police that the building did not require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) under fire safety rules due to its height.He said, “any residential building that was less than 15 metres high does not need a NOC according to the rule 27 of Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010.”The fire, which tore through the bed-and-breakfast establishment in south Delhi’s densely populated Malviya Nagar area early Wednesday, killed at least 21 people, including 17 foreign nationals, and injured several others.Authorities have registered an FIR against the owner and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.The Delhi chief minister’s Office said the lapses that led to the tragedy would be examined and accountability fixed.In a post on X, it said, “The lapses that culminated in the tragic fire at a guest house in Malviya Nagar will be examined with utmost seriousness, and accountability will be fixed wherever it lies,”Officials said investigations are underway to determine violations related to fire safety clearance, occupancy norms and building permissions.
