The Delhi High Court has sought a comprehensive medical report on the health of jailed hotel owner Lovkesh Bajaj, an accused in the June fire at a Malviya Nagar guest house that claimed 23 lives. The court’s order came while hearing Bajaj’s plea for interim bail on medical grounds.
Justice Manoj Jain directed Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to submit the report after the court was informed that Bajaj had been admitted there since August 24. The matter has been listed for hearing on Wednesday. Bajaj has claimed that he is suffering from intestinal obstruction and that his condition is serious.
The proceedings concern the June 3 fire at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani, where 23 people died. Bajaj is currently in judicial custody and is among three people chargesheeted by police in the case. The other accused named in the chargesheet are manager-cum-accountant Jay Mishra and cook Keshav Negi.
Bajaj had earlier sought four weeks of interim bail from a trial court. That plea was rejected on September 3, with the court holding that he was receiving adequate medical treatment in custody and that the medical emergency cited in the application had been addressed through surgery at RML Hospital.
The case has also raised questions about how guest houses and bed-and-breakfast properties are licensed and monitored in dense residential areas. According to police, the 26-room establishment was being operated in violation of bed-and-breakfast norms. Investigators further alleged that Bajaj’s application for a hotel licence had been rejected because the property had only one entry-exit point and no fire exit, but that operations continued under the B&B framework.
The alleged absence of a fire exit is significant in a multi-room accommodation facility because it directly concerns the ability of occupants to evacuate during an emergency. The police allegations are part of the ongoing case and will be examined through the judicial process.
The High Court’s immediate intervention is limited to obtaining an updated assessment of Bajaj’s medical condition for consideration of his interim bail plea. The court has sought the report from RML Hospital and will take up the matter again on Wednesday.
