Malviya Nagar fire: Hotel owner Lokesh Bajaj on the run as 21 die
Synopsis
A six-room B&B licence. Twenty-five rooms in use. One exit. Twenty-one dead, most of them foreign nationals. The Malviya Nagar hotel fire has exposed a familiar Delhi pattern — paper compliance masking commercial overreach — and put owner Lokesh Bajaj, now on the run, at the centre of a culpable homicide probe.
Key Takeaways
Lokesh Bajaj , owner of the Malviya Nagar hotel, is being hunted by Delhi Police after a fire killed 21 people on 3 June .
A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide.
The property was licensed as a Bed and Breakfast for six rooms but reportedly operated 25 rooms .
Among the dead were 17 foreign nationals from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Bangladesh .
47 people were rescued; 26 remain under treatment, including injured police first responders at AIIMS Delhi .
The building reportedly had only one common entry and exit point , hampering evacuation.
Delhi Police have launched a multi-team manhunt for Lokesh Bajaj, the owner of the Malviya Nagar hotel where a devastating fire on 3 June claimed 21 lives, including 17 foreign nationals. A case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to culpable homicide as investigators widen their probe into ownership, licensing, and safety violations at the property.
Who is Lokesh Bajaj
According to official sources, Bajaj has been identified as the registered owner of the hotel. Police teams are conducting raids across the national capital to trace him. Investigators are also examining the role of three partners reportedly involved in running the establishment, who together manage several hotels and guest houses across Delhi.
‘With this in view, the authorities have widened the scope of their inquiry into ownership structures, licensing compliance, and operational practices,' sources said.
Licensing violations under scanner
Preliminary findings have flagged serious compliance gaps. Officials have reportedly found that the property was registered under the Bed and Breakfast (B&B) category and authorised to operate only six rooms. However, it is suspected that nearly 25 rooms were being used to accommodate guests at the time of the blaze.
The hotel's restaurant operations are also under scrutiny, with authorities examining whether it was functioning beyond the scope of its licence and whether the property's actual activities matched the permissions granted by regulatory agencies.
Fire safety failures suspected
A major strand of the investigation centres on emergency preparedness. The building reportedly had only one common entry and exit point, which officials say may have severely hampered evacuation as flames spread through the structure. Inadequate escape routes, overcrowding, and other safety lapses are being examined as contributors to the high death toll.
The human toll
The fire claimed 21 lives, including 17 foreign nationals from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Bangladesh. Authorities said 47 people were rescued from the building, with 26 currently undergoing treatment. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (South Delhi) Jitender Kumar confirmed that rescue operations concluded shortly after noon.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has received several injured persons, including police personnel who were among the first responders to enter the burning building.
What's next
The probe is expected to expand to other properties operated by the partners, with officials reviewing licensing records and fire safety audits across the chain. Arrests are anticipated once Bajaj is located.
Point of View
Where six-room permissions routinely camouflage 25-room operations under the noses of local enforcement. The death of 17 foreign nationals will internationalise this story in a way past Delhi fires did not, and that scrutiny should outlast the news cycle. The harder question is structural: how many other properties run by the same partners — and others like them — are operating on the same paper-thin compliance? Culpable homicide charges against an absconding owner make for strong headlines, but the licensing officials who signed off year after year rarely make the chargesheet.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lokesh Bajaj?
Lokesh Bajaj is the identified owner of the Malviya Nagar hotel in Delhi where a fire on 3 June killed 21 people. Delhi Police have formed multiple teams to trace him and are conducting raids across the national capital.
What charges have been filed in the Delhi hotel fire case?
A case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to culpable homicide and other relevant sections. Investigators are also examining three partners reportedly involved in running the hotel.
What licensing violations are under investigation?
The property was registered as a Bed and Breakfast authorised to operate only six rooms, but officials suspect nearly 25 rooms were in use. The restaurant's operations are also being examined for breaches of permitted scope.
How many people died in the Malviya Nagar hotel fire?
The fire claimed 21 lives, including 17 foreign nationals from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Bangladesh. A total of 47 people were rescued, with 26 currently undergoing treatment.
Why was the death toll so high?
Officials say the building had only one common entry and exit point, which severely hampered evacuation as the fire spread. Inadequate escape routes and suspected overcrowding are being examined as contributing factors.
