This is the third arrest in the case, earlier general manager, Rajender Kumar and manager, Vikas Kumar Takkal were arrested for culpable homicide
Five days after fire broke out in Karol Bagh's Arpit Hotel killing 17 people, the owner Rakesh Goel was arrested by Crime Branch of Delhi Police on Saturday. Goel was arrested from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Saturday after the Delhi Police received a tip off that Goel was travelling from Qatar by Indigo flight 6E 1702. Th
Goel was arrested after brief questioning, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Deo said. He will be produced in court on Sunday.
The Crime Branch had on Thursday issued a look out circular against the Goel and his brother Shardendu Goel to alert the immigration officers, informing them that the duo were wanted by the Police.
According to the fire services, the tragedy could have been averted had the fire alarms been functional and the fire exits not blocked at the hotel.
This is the third arrest in the hotel fire case. Earlier, the general manager, Rajender Kumar and manager, Vikas Kumar Takkal were arrested for culpable homicide, the police said.
Investigators are now looking into the possibility of a deliberate attempt at aggravating the fire inside the hotel to settle an insurance claim by the owner.
"The owner had a huge debt of Rs56 crore, which they were unable to repay. Their hotel had not been doing well since last year and he had tried to sell it. The e-auction bid of Rs 27 crore did not materialize. The next auction bid was due on March 31," General Secretary of Delhi Hotels Mahasangh, Arun Kumar told reporters.
The investigating team recreated the scene and matched the sequence and evidences with the timings of the fire incident.
Blaming the hotel management for delay in reporting the fire, Chief Fire Officer Atul Garg said, "During investigation, it was found that there were lapses on the part of the hotel management as they did not initially inform the control room of Delhi Fire Service (DFS) about the fire in real time."
"They informed us at 4:35 am when flames spread across a major portion of hotel from the second floor to first and fourth including the top floor cafeteria," he said.
"After sensing the gravity of fire that reached the top floor, the fire fighters later took the help of a hydraulic fire engine and rescued the trapped victims after breaking the window panes," Garg added.
"Prima facie, some lapses were found on the part of the hotel management as the emergency exit were also blocked from inside," Deputy Commissioner of Police Mandeep Singh Randhawa said.
The dead included at least four women, 10 men, a hotel cook and a child who could not escape the leaping flames and the thick smoke in the hotel in the commercial-cum-residential district of Karol Bagh Fire safety certificates of 14 more hotels and guest houses have been suspended after violations were found during inspection said Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday.
NOC CANCELLED
- Earlier, Delhi government on Saturday had cancelled the No Objection Certificate (NOC) given to 30 hotels in the vicinity following the fire tragedy. The government has also instructed the fire safety department to inspect all hotels in Delhi to check if the safety norms are being followed.
- The NOC was granted to 45 hotels in Karol Bagh and nearby areas out of which 30 have been cancelled.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Rakesh Goel")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}