The man who owned a Delhi illegal bed and breakfast (BnB) which had lost 21 lives in a terrible fire earlier this week has already been arrested in another case where he allegedly facilitated illegal immigration and issued fake identity documents, police officials said Friday. The disclosure has brought a new perspective to the ongoing investigation into the murderous blaze, casting doubt upon the operator’s previous operations and violations of the regulations.
Police said the accused BnB owner, Lovkesh Bajaj, was caught after it was discovered in January 2025 he allegedly rented out his house in Chhatrapur Enclave in Delhi for a Bangladeshi woman and her minor daughter and son to use and get Indian identity documents, such as passports and Aadhaar with him. Authorities say that he intentionally aided and assisted in the formation of the fake residence of the family and allowed them to live in India illegally.
The case was one that uncovered charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, investigators said. Later, police had come to know the Bangladeshi nationals have been living illegally in this area under fake Indian identity documents. A charge sheet was then filed against the accused and the two Bangladeshi adults.
On Wednesday, after the deadly fire at the B&B facility which killed 21 and injured 21, Bajaj was again taken into custody. In the initial inquiry, it appeared the fire started inside the kitchen of a ground floor restaurant, and spread quickly across the building.
Investigators now want to see if similar incidents – such as previous allegations of wrongdoings and safety failures – played a role in the catastrophe. A probe into the causation of the fire is under way, while attempts are underway to determine who’s responsible for one of the worst fire incidents in the city in recent years.