The Delhi Police have formed multiple teams to trace Jai Mishra, who is absconding in connection with the devastating fire at Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar, an official said on Friday.
Investigators have intensified efforts to find Mishra, who is believed to have played a key role in the operation and management of the hotel where the blaze broke out on Wednesday morning.
Police sources said several teams have been deployed to various locations in Delhi and neighbouring states to track him down. “Technical surveillance and other investigative methods are also being used to determine his whereabouts,” the officer said.
As part of the probe, the police are also searching for hotel employees and other workers who were present at or associated with the establishment.
Investigators aim to record their statements to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the fire and gather information about the hotel’s operations, he said.
The probe is focusing on several aspects, including compliance with safety regulations, building’s layout, emergency exit arrangements, and the circumstances that led to guests becoming trapped inside the premises.
The police have already questioned several individuals linked to the hotel and examined documents related to the property. Statements of survivors and eyewitnesses are also being recorded.
Meanwhile, the police said hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj had been booked earlier for allegedly violating safety norms at the establishment. The Delhi Police said on Thursday that an FIR had been registered against Bajaj in 2024 over the absence of mandatory safety measures, including CCTV cameras and metal detectors.
The revelation comes after the devastating fire swept through the building, claiming 21 lives, including several foreign nationals.
Preliminary probe points to short circuit as the cause of deadly fire. However, electric stoves, ovens and other appliances recovered from the premises are also being examined for possible faults.
The police have sought records from the civic authorities, electricity providers and district officials regarding approvals, power connections and other documents linked to the property.
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).
Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia
Leave a Reply