Malviya Nagar B&B Owner Had Hotel Licence Rejected In 2022 Before Deadly Fire

The Delhi Police have revealed that Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of the Flourish Stay bed and breakfast in Malviya Nagar, Saket, where a massive fire killed 23 people earlier this month, had his application for a hotel licence rejected in 2022. Bajaj and two of his employees have been arrested in connection with the incident as investigations into safety violations continue.

According to police sources, Bajaj applied for a hotel licence through the Delhi Police Licensing Department in August 2022. The application was rejected because he failed to secure a mandatory health and trade licence from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Service (DFS).

Bajaj, who lived in the Hauz Rani area, had been involved in the medical tourism business since 2012. He also owned a property in Chhatarpur to accommodate visiting medical tourists. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Bajaj decided to expand his business. In 2022, he purchased a three-storey house in Hauz Rani and began constructing three additional floors to increase the number of rooms.

After his hotel licence application was rejected, Bajaj sought approval under the Bed and Breakfast (B&B) scheme administered by the Delhi Tourism department. Although registration under this scheme requires the owner to reside on the premises, police allege that Bajaj falsely presented his accountant as the owner to the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) to secure the licence.

Investigators stated that Bajaj went on to operate 26 rooms at the facility, despite having official approval for only six rooms under the B&B scheme.

The Delhi Police have collected all relevant documents linked to the facility to strengthen their case against Bajaj and the two arrested employees. The investigation into the origin of the fire and the safety norm violations remains underway.