The police investigation into the Floris Stay hotel fire in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar has come under sharp criticism after civil society members, social workers and residents alleged that 65-year-old cook Keshav Singh Negi was being made a scapegoat while hotel owners and officials were being shielded. The fire, which broke out on June 3, has claimed 23 lives, including eight members of the Agarwal family and 15 foreign nationals.
More than 30 people were also seriously injured in the incident. Police have accused Negi of shutting the door and switching off the electricity before fleeing after the fire broke out. He has been booked under five serious criminal provisions and sent to 14 days’ judicial custody, a move that has drawn widespread opposition.
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Questions Over Responsibility and Hotel Safety
Critics have argued that the primary responsibility for safety lapses in a hotel lies with its management and owners, not with a low-level employee working on the premises. They said the focus of the investigation should be on whether fire safety norms, licensing conditions and building regulations were followed.
Former MCD City Zone chairperson Renuka Gupta questioned why action under Section 105 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder had not been taken against officials allegedly responsible for the incident. She also raised questions over the absence of arrests of officers linked to the case.
Gupta blamed engineers of the building department for 20 rooms allegedly constructed illegally. She also questioned the role of the Delhi Tourism Development Corporation, saying the hotel was allowed to operate for two months even after its licence had expired in March.
Foreign Guests and Form C Compliance Under Scrutiny
Gurdwara management committee representative Sardar Inderjit Singh Nirman raised questions over the role of the local police. He said every hotel or guesthouse accommodating foreign nationals is legally required to submit Form C within 24 hours.
He said the local police are responsible for maintaining records of foreign guests and keeping watch to ensure that no suspicious person is staying on the premises. The presence of foreign nationals among the dead has brought renewed attention to whether these procedures were properly followed.
The victims included foreign nationals from Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Congo, Liberia and Iraq. The available account does not specify whether Form C rules were violated in this case, but concerns have been raised over the manner in which guest records and police oversight were handled.
SDM’s Statement Cited in Defence of Cook
Civil society members have argued that Negi’s arrest is unfair. He has been booked under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, among other provisions. The section is a non-bailable offence and can attract punishment of up to 10 years in prison.
Police have claimed that switching off the electricity caused darkness, which contributed to the loss of lives. However, those opposing Negi’s arrest said cutting power during a fire is a recognised emergency response to prevent further danger.
A civil defence-trained person, identified as Mamgain, said fire safety training treats disconnection of electricity as the first step during such emergencies. Local SDM Jitendra Kumar is also stated to have acknowledged that switching off electricity in time helped prevent a bigger tragedy. Civil defence experts have expressed a similar view.
