Delhi Malviya Nagar hotel fire: After owner’s revelations, police hunt manager Jai Mishra

NEW DELHI: After owner’s revelations during questioning, Delhi Police are searching for hotel manager Jai Mishra in connection with the fire at a hotel in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar that claimed 21 lives. The investigation is also focused on the establishment’s ownership structure and licensing records.Lavkesh Bajaj told police during questioning that he had entrusted the full management of the hotel to Mishra and also claimed that all licences linked to the property were issued in the manager’s name, according to news agency ANI.Bajaj, who has been arrested in the case on Wednesday, said he is the sole owner of the hotel and had no business partners and purchased the building in 2022 and later converted it into a hotel-cum-guesthouse.Officials are verifying his claims regarding permissions to operate a bed-and-breakfast facility, tourist accommodation, a restaurant, and related services from the premises.Bajaj told police he was near the hotel when the fire broke out on Wednesday morning but did not stop. He allegedly left the area out of fear and moved across different parts of the city before being traced by police, according to news agency ANI.Investigators are also examining whether the hotel was operating in violation of its licence conditions. Preliminary findings suggest that while permission was granted for six rooms, the property was allegedly being used as a 25-room establishment.Police are also gathering records related to three other hotels allegedly linked to Bajaj as part of a wider probe into possible regulatory violations. He is expected to be produced before a court on Thursday.