Malviya Nagar Hotel Fire: Delhi Court Grants Bail To Cook, Says Cause Of Blaze Yet To Be Established

A Delhi court granted bail to the cook arrested in Malviya Nagar hotel fire case, saying criminal liability cannot be determined until forensic report establishes cause of blaze.

Malviya Nagar Hotel Fire: The cook arrested in connection with the deadly fire at a Malviya Nagar hotel, which left 22 people dead, was granted bail by a Delhi court on Monday after it observed that the exact cause of the blaze has not yet been established through forensic evidence.

While allowing the bail plea of Kesar Negi, who worked at the Flourish B&B hotel, the court said the forensic report remains pending. It further noted that criminal liability cannot be attributed to the accused at this stage merely on the basis of a witness’s statement.

According to the police, the investigation found that the fire originated in the hotel’s kitchen after an oil fryer was allegedly left switched on. Officers claimed Negi had turned on the fryer before stepping away to prepare tea for himself.

Investigators initially examined the possibility of a short circuit or a gas cylinder explosion. However, subsequent findings pointed towards the unattended fryer as the likely source of the fire.

Police said the oil inside the fryer continued to heat until it reached its auto-ignition temperature, igniting without an external flame. The fire then spread to the ceiling before quickly engulfing cardboard boxes and other combustible materials stored inside the building, allowing the blaze to intensify.

During questioning, Negi allegedly told investigators that he had forgotten about the running fryer while drinking tea. By the time he noticed the flames, the fire had spread rapidly.

The police alleged that although Negi made an attempt to put out the fire, he left the premises after failing to control it. Investigators also claimed he neither alerted hotel guests nor informed neighbours or emergency services despite having enough time to do so.

The fire, one of the deadliest hotel blazes reported in Delhi in recent years, claimed 22 lives. The court observed that the pending forensic report will play a key role in determining the exact cause of the incident and any criminal responsibility arising from it.

News is originally taken from: https://tinyurl.com/3c28uxnw

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