Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of Uttarakhand on Sunday, June 7, 2026, spoke with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta regarding the arrest of Keshav Negi, a resident of Uttarakhand, in connection with the Malviya Nagar arson case in Delhi.

What Happened

The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand confirmed that CM Dhami personally reached out to his Delhi counterpart to raise concerns over Negi's arrest. The post states that Dhami sought assurances that the investigation would be conducted fairly and that no innocent person would face injustice.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta assured Dhami that 'किसी भी निर्दोष व्यक्ति के साथ अन्याय नहीं होने दिया जाएगा' ('no innocent person will be allowed to face injustice') and that the probe would be conducted entirely on the basis of facts and evidence.

Context

The Malviya Nagar fire incident — referred to in the post as an agnikand (arson or fire tragedy) — led to the arrest of Keshav Negi, who hails from Uttarakhand and is among the large number of migrants from the hill state living and working in the national capital. The specific circumstances of the incident and Negi's alleged role are subject to the ongoing investigation.

CM Dhami also separately spoke with Kanishka Negi, the daughter of Keshav Negi, and assured her of every possible assistance from the Uttarakhand government. The CMO quoted Dhami as saying: 'Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with all migrant brothers and sisters from Uttarakhand living across the country.'

Policy Backdrop

Indian state governments have a long-standing practice of intervening on behalf of their residents when legal or administrative matters arise in other states. For smaller hill states like Uttarakhand, this is particularly significant given the large diaspora settled in metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Dehradun's neighbouring NCR districts.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who has been in office since 2021, has repeatedly emphasised the welfare of pravasi Uttarakhandis (Uttarakhand migrants) as a policy priority. Such inter-state coordination reflects the federal dynamics that govern how regional governments protect their non-resident citizens' legal rights.

Stakeholders and Impact

The immediate stakeholder is Keshav Negi and his family, including daughter Kanishka Negi, who now has a direct line of support from the Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office. More broadly, the Uttarakhand migrant community in Delhi — numbering in the lakhs — will watch the case closely as a signal of how effectively the state government advocates for its people outside state borders.

The assurance from Delhi CM Rekha Gupta that the probe will be evidence-based adds an official commitment to fair process, which both governments are now publicly on record supporting.

What's Next

The focus now shifts to the Delhi Police and relevant investigative agencies to carry out the promised impartial inquiry. CM Dhami has expressed full confidence that the Delhi government and its agencies will bring the truth to light through a fair investigation. Any further inter-state coordination or legal assistance extended by the Uttarakhand government to the Negi family will be closely watched as this case develops.