Delhi hotel fire: U’khand Cong demands Negi’s release, says it wasn’t his duty to extinguish blaze

Dehradun: After BJP MP Trivendra Singh Rawat extended support to Keshav Negi, Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal has also come out in his favour, demanding his immediate release and calling for a fair and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the devastating hotel fire in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar.

A massive blaze engulfed the multi-storeyed Flourish Stay B&B in the Malviya Nagar area on June 3, resulting in the deaths of 21 people, including 13 foreign nationals, while dozens of others sustained injuries. Following the tragedy, the owner of the property, Lavkesh Bajaj, was arrested by the authorities.

On Saturday, 65-year-old Keshav Negi was also taken into custody after investigators alleged that negligence on his part had contributed to the outbreak of the fire.

Reacting to the development, Godiyal expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and the suffering caused by the incident. He offered condolences to the families of those who died and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

While describing the fire itself as a tragic event, Godiyal argued that the action taken by the Delhi government and police in the aftermath had raised serious concerns.

“The Delhi government and the Delhi police have arrested a person named Keshav Negi, who is originally from Uttarakhand, in this case. After arresting him, they accused him of not contributing to putting out the fire. Naturally, everyone knows that when a fire breaks out, everyone runs here and there to save their lives. It is possible that Keshav Negi, who is accused of not trying to extinguish the fire, also ran away or went somewhere else to save his own life,” he said.

Questioning the basis of the allegations against Negi, Godiyal said, “Did Keshav Negi have the responsibility of the fire brigade to extinguish the fire? As far as I know, Keshav Negi was a chef at that restaurant and hotel and worked as a cook. Keshav Negi does not have the responsibility of extinguishing the fire.”

The Uttarakhand Congress chief further stated that the actual cause of the fire and the adequacy of safety arrangements at the establishment should be thoroughly investigated. He said questions remain over whether fire safety norms were being followed and whether the relevant authorities had conducted proper inspections of the premises.

According to him, it is the responsibility of the concerned civic authorities and inspectors to ensure compliance with safety regulations, and only a detailed investigation can establish whether there were lapses on the part of the management or regulatory agencies.

“It is a matter of great shamelessness that the Delhi government, to save its own skin, has caught a person doing a very ordinary job in this case. I would like to tell the Delhi government that, in my opinion, more than 10 lakh people from Uttarakhand live in Delhi. And the way in which incidents have happened in the past with the people of Uttarakhand in Delhi, and the way in which they are being discriminated against, is not acceptable; it is completely unacceptable,” he said.

Godiyal also urged the Delhi government to review the action taken against Negi and ensure that the investigation remains focused on determining actual accountability rather than targeting an employee who may not have had any responsibility for handling emergency situations.

“I would like the Delhi government to intervene in this matter and immediately release Keshav Negi, whom they have considered wanted in this case, and investigate. It’s okay to investigate. Yes, if a person is found guilty in such a way that they brought the fire and set it, then it is a crime. But if the fire broke out and he ran and didn’t try to stop it, is that a crime? If a person does it, it’s a good thing; if not, it’s not a crime,” he added.

Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that he had a conversation with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta over the arrest of Keshav Negi, stating that she had assured him that no innocent person would face injustice.

Earlier, BJP MP Trivendra Singh Rawat came out in support of Keshav Negi, a cook who was arrested in the Malviya Nagar hotel fire case, and assured all possible legal support to him to ensure justice.

BJP MP Trivendra Rawat said that he and Garhwal MP Anil Baluni met Delhi Police seeking a fair, transparent probe to avoid injustice.

Investigation into the tragic fire is continuing, and further details are awaited.

IANS