- 43 minutes ago
Following the devastating Delhi fire at Flourish Stay on June 3 that claimed twenty-one lives, an undercover investigation by the Special Investigation Team exposed a network of unregulated guest houses in Hauz Rani.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shakil.
00:03Some incidents don't just make headlines, they shake up your conscience.
00:09The Delhi blaze that claimed 21 lives on June 3rd is one such tragedy.
00:14And as the debris is cleared and tough questions are asked of the system,
00:18heartbreaking stories of desperation, courage and loss continue to emerge.
00:23Imagine being trapped by flames choking on smoke,
00:26desperately waiting for help that never arrives on time.
00:30And among the many haunting discoveries made by rescuers
00:35was that of a couple who died in each other's arms,
00:38holding on to each other in their final moments.
00:42For rescue workers, these are images they can never unsee or forget.
00:47Images that should serve as a warning for all of us.
00:50You may ask, why am I saying all this now?
00:54When the building owner has been arrested and investigation is underway
00:58and authorities are promising stricter scrutiny of fire clearances,
01:03the NOCs, that is the no objection certificates and operating licenses.
01:08The reason why I'm saying is, what should have been a wake-up call isn't.
01:14This should have been the moment.
01:16The system should have ensured that another flourish stay, fire will never happen again.
01:21But the reality on the ground tells a totally different story.
01:26Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps we are still waiting for another building to go up in flames
01:30because lessons are truly not learned.
01:32India, today's special investigation team went undercover in Delhi's Hozrani.
01:39What we found out was serious questions about fire safety compliance,
01:47tenant verification and official oversight.
01:49Take a look at this report and then I bring in the guests.
01:59A devastating fire inside a guest house in Delhi's Hozrani area
02:05has exposed what may be a much larger and more dangerous reality.
02:10Properties originally approved under the Delhi government's bed and breakfast scheme
02:14are alleged to have gradually transformed into full-fledged guest houses and hotels.
02:22Many catering to foreign patients, visiting nearby MAC's hospital and their families.
02:28But were these establishments operating without adequate safety checks?
02:37Archduk's special investigation team went undercover in the area.
02:42What we found raises serious questions about safety and enforcement.
02:46Several buildings had narrow corridors, cramped exits and accommodation spaces
02:52operating out of residential structures.
02:55And now, after the deadly fire, are rooms still available?
03:26But our investigation told a different story.
03:29Within minutes, brokers began offering rooms, no paperwork, no questions, no verification.
04:07The room was offered at 1,500 rupees per day with electricity charged separately.
04:36Further ahead, another broker offered a two-room apartment for 3,300 rupees per day.
05:24The deal came with another condition, a broker's commission.
05:53The safety concerns don't end there.
05:57A maze of electrical wires hang overhead.
06:01Encroachments have narrowed several lanes, potentially obstructing emergency vehicles during a fire.
06:07Yet rooms continue to be offered openly.
06:11Another shocking discovery, everyone demanded payment, but no one demanded identification.
06:18No Aadhaar card, no passport, no police verification.
06:23According to Delhi police rules, hotels, guesthouses and landlords must maintain guest records and verify tenants.
06:32Foreign nationals must be registered through mandatory C form submissions.
06:40Yet our investigation found little evidence of these norms being followed.
06:45So where are the records of the outsiders and foreign nationals staying here?
06:50Were the MCD, Delhi police, fire department and local administration unaware?
06:56Or did they simply look the other way?
06:5921 people have already paid the ultimate price.
07:03The question now is not just how the fire happened.
07:06The question is how was an entire network of unregulated guest houses allowed to flourish unchecked in the heart of
07:15the national capital?
07:16A special report by India Today's special investigation team.
07:23Sanjay Saha is former IPS officer.
07:25He joins me on the show tonight.
07:26Neelam Krishnamurthy, President Association of the Victims of Uphar Tragedy.
07:31Nitin Tyagi is the leader of the BJP.
07:34And Sanjay Hager, senior advocate, will be joining me shortly.
07:37Neelam Krishnamurthy in India, it appears every day is a final destination.
07:42We step out of the house, a speeding car can hit us.
07:46You might as well fall in a pothole.
07:49This Delhi blaze where the owner had no proper documents.
07:53Why is life so cheap in India?
07:54People die, we protest for some days, then we are back to normal.
07:58Why is this so?
08:04Because in India life is very cheap.
08:07Nobody really cares.
08:09Otherwise, don't you think 29 years down the line, don't you think the government would have done something about fire
08:14safety?
08:15I have been advocating for fire safety for the last 29 years.
08:18And it is not that we haven't proved our case beyond a reasonable doubt.
08:22We have shown where all the entire system failed.
08:26We have shown there is a nexus between the MCD, the PWD, the DBB and the Delhi Fire Service.
08:33It's gone right up to the Supreme Court.
08:35They have been held guilty.
08:36And this is how the entire thing functions in Delhi.
08:39And so the most important thing which is lacking in our country is that there is no exemplary punishment.
08:45The day you have exemplary punishment for all these people, the owners as well, all the government officials, just see
08:52the way the crime rate will come down.
08:54They all know that NOCs are issued for a price.
08:59All these, you know, all these BNBs and hotels and everything is run in connivance with the MCD employees.
09:08It's not that they look the other way.
09:10They are paid not to say a word.
09:13They don't look the other way because otherwise, if they look the other way, they wouldn't be getting the bribes
09:17that they get.
09:17And it's not the bribe, just the inspector who gets it.
09:20It gets right up till the top.
09:22That's why they are always protected.
09:24Even if you file a complaint against them, there is no action ever taken against them.
09:30And we all know it.
09:32And, you know, you go to a particular area and he will tell you.
09:41So, every area, everybody knows who's responsible and doing what.
09:50You do a little sting and you'll find out how much is to be paid to the MCD guy or
09:54the PWD guy or the fire department.
09:56Otherwise, do you think, how can a fire department official issue a NOC when he's in casual leave?
10:02This is happening in Uphar.
10:04And the Supreme Court very conveniently says,
10:14So, you know, here I would say that the Supreme Court has actually rewarded the Delhi government.
10:21So, why should the Delhi government do anything to improve the system?
10:24Okay.
10:24Because the 60 crore rupees, which was given to the Delhi government in 2015.
10:28Just a sec, this is very important.
10:312015, they were given 60 crore rupees to build a trauma center to be dedicated to the memory of the
10:37Uphar victims.
10:382025, I moved the Supreme Court and we asked the Delhi government, where is the money?
10:42Delhi government has filed an affidavit saying it has been used in the budgetary allocation.
10:47So, isn't this a reward which is given to the Delhi government?
10:50They should have been punished.
10:52Rather, they are being rewarded.
10:54So, today maybe 25 people have died.
10:56Tomorrow, Supreme Court will give another 25 CR to Delhi government.
11:00So, the Delhi government is going to keep getting rewarded by the Supreme Court.
11:03If these are the kind of the judgments we are going to get, how are you going to have any
11:06deterrent in this country?
11:08This is very crucial.
11:10Absolutely, ma'am.
11:10We have to set our entire system right.
11:13Sanjay Hegri, please respond to that.
11:15Is it just not a fire official or a MCD official?
11:17Yes, Neelam Krishnamurti has made an important point that it almost seems to be some kind of reward which has
11:24been given to the Delhi government.
11:26Why should they do course correction?
11:28Why should they fix the system?
11:30Why should they suspend and sack officials who are issuing fake NOCs or perhaps even taking bribe for issuing NOCs?
11:39Doing no fire checks, not following what is supposed to be done.
11:45Absolutely.
11:46Neelam is absolutely right.
11:48I have watched her through all my years in the Supreme Court fighting away and trying to get accountability.
11:59Much more than justice for her children, she has been trying to enforce accountability and that has not happened.
12:06If today as a consequence of this fire, if there are safety and fire audits in all places which serve
12:16as hotels,
12:17you will see that most of the hotels and guest houses in Delhi will get shut.
12:23But maybe drastic measures are called for and if you do not use a tragedy of this kind,
12:32to put your house in order, you are only inviting further tragedies.
12:38Just look at it.
12:4025 separate rooms where only 6 were sanctioned.
12:44That's right.
12:44No fire escapes.
12:47How can you keep on adding to your profits at the risk of human life?
12:55Human life is cheap, as Neelam said.
12:58And it is now time to have disincentives, not only for the businessman, but for each and every government official
13:07who is in charge of NOCs and clearances.
13:12You know, all these inquiries which is being set up, all promises of action which happens, Nitin Nityagi, it happens
13:21only after a tragedy.
13:22I have never seen that before any such incident, any preventive measure is taken.
13:28We wait for a tragedy to come up with these committees who perhaps do no job and then wait for
13:35another tragedy to happen.
13:37I feel we should not call this a tragedy.
13:42It is pure simple murder, I think so.
13:45And such blatant disregard to law and rules and regulations, I think it should be dealt with very strictly and
13:55immediately.
13:56I totally and completely agree with Neelam Krishnamurti ji, Sanjay Hegade ji, and I should say, one month back, the
14:06Delhi government had already started with the process of cancelling the licenses of all these bread and breakfast things that
14:14had started in 2007.
14:16And we were foreseeing such kind of problem might happen, and it's happened.
14:21And I assure you, I promise you, none of the people who gave license to such a hotel in 2024,
14:31none of them could be...
14:32You know, the issue is, of course, that we are focusing on the owner here.
14:36Just a moment. Just a moment. Just a moment.
14:36We are looking at Mr. Bajaj, who has now been arrested. But what about the MCD officials?
14:42I said not a single officer who gave permission, who gave a license or any kind of NOC.
14:48But do you know them? Are there names to these officials? Absolutely.
14:52See, everything would be on the documents, and every person who would be responsible, they have a track where they
14:58were posted at that time, and it would be found out and nobody would.
15:02No, but why hasn't it happened till now?
15:04It is happening. I would not be privy to all the information, but actually it would be happening.
15:10You went after Lavkesh Bajaj because you found that he is the owner. Of course, he broke all the rules.
15:17But what about your own housing?
15:19Yeah, probably the media was more interested in knowing about what's happening with Lavkesh Bajaj.
15:23No, no, no. Media was not interested. Media wasn't interested in knowing the action.
15:26You are not the only... See, see, see. Listen, you are a very responsible channel.
15:30There are so many other media people also. So let me just assure you that every single officer...
15:37Okay, let me move in and bring in Sanjay Sai. Sanjay Sai, you have seen our investigative report.
15:42It ran just a few minutes ago. Illegalities operate in plain sight.
15:49Is negligence really the right word here? Or is it institutional systemic failure?
15:54Is the system making people like Lavkesh Bajaj and many other MCD officials...
15:59...who know that there would be all the hue and cry only after a tragedy...
16:06...and once the fire is doused, once the cremation is done, the story would be over...
16:14...and he would get away?
16:17Negligence is not the word which can be used for this. It is outright parallel governance...
16:24...in the guise of regular governance. It is total collusion end to end.
16:29Whatever report has been shown regarding whatever structures are. Just take a simple case.
16:37Electricity bill of a six-bedroom establishment. Water bill of a six-bedroom establishment.
16:44I will give you a very simple example, unconnected, but an analogy which will clarify literally everything.
16:51Around two weeks back, I threw some garbage somewhere. I asked my servant, go and throw some garbage somewhere.
16:57That was not a demarcated area. The next day, the BBMP officials came to me that this garbage has been
17:05thrown by you.
17:06Why? Because there was something there in the waste where my name was there.
17:11So this is the level to which the municipal corporation can go and they do go, but for a vested
17:18interest.
17:19Every single thing is known to them. There is a price paid for it.
17:23And the governments have decided that they will not hold any official responsible.
17:29The accident which happened or tragedy or the man-made tragedy or murder, or you can call it an open
17:36crematorium,
17:36which is there all around the place in this country.
17:39That is exactly for the same reasons for which Upar tragedy happened.
17:43So from 1997 till today, from the Volvo cases to fire tragedy in temples is exactly the same thing.
17:51The actual culprit becomes the bystander. The actual culprit conducts the enquiry.
17:58The actual culprit conducts the investigation. It is the fence eating the crop and nothing else.
18:04Municipal governance has long, long vanished into the blue.
18:08At what point does recurring negligence become a collective failure of governance? If this is not?
18:14See, first it is the criminal liability part which needs to be fixed.
18:18Yes.
18:19And whosoever, and the criminal liability is very, very clear.
18:22The permission, whosoever given the BNP permission, his job is to inspect an audit.
18:27And there are differential layers in the government.
18:29You understand the government pretty well from the FDS and SDS till the cabinet secretary of this country.
18:36So nearly in the same manner, every organisation works with nothing less than anything, anything between five to seven tiers.
18:43And there is inspection after inspection, audit after audit.
18:46I will just request the Delhi government and the person who are talking on behalf of the Delhi government to
18:51make all these documents public.
18:53Why don't we follow open data policy? Why should all these permissions and licences and drawings be in the public
19:01domain?
19:02Let all of us see, there is nothing hide and seek about it.
19:04If you do an audit in that particular lane itself, all the hotels, there are three, four hotels in that
19:10lane.
19:10The last one is elementary, everything will get closed.
19:13You do an audit of any single place in Delhi, you take two by 12 square kilometres, you will get
19:19whatever you want, everything you will get.
19:21Correct. The point is, it is a complete nexus, top to bottom.
19:26And municipal governance is literally taken over by corporators in this country.
19:31So the corporator, the next level legislator, they literally know anything and everything.
19:38Yes.
19:38So one is, one is the parallel government in the regular government and second is the elected representative getting into
19:45the executive job in a manner unimaginable inclusive of posting.
19:49Yes, but Sanjay Hegre, where is the Indian legal system failing Neelam Krishnamurti and many others?
19:57Is it because of that legal charge, which is essentially about culpable homicide not amounting to murder?
20:09Well, to prove murder, you need to prove intent.
20:13And it is not as if Mr. Bajaj or whoever else intended these things to happen.
20:20I mean, I'm just putting the legal picture to you, I'm not putting any moral judgment on it.
20:26You have to get tough, not only with the owners, but you have to get tough with your own administration.
20:35Every, it is not difficult these days to put out the fire safety clearances of every house, which, which serves
20:47as a hotel, or every, every guest house.
20:49And that information must be available on the net.
20:56Everyone who cuts corners also cuts prices.
21:00Yes, there is human misery.
21:03These were people whose relatives were in the hospital next door.
21:07Yes.
21:09Health care costs today are huge.
21:13So somewhere or the other corners get cut by everyone, including the patient's attendants.
21:19And it is people like Mr. Bajaj and others who take advantage of people's miseries.
21:27But behind all of these cases is the system itself.
21:33The system itself comprises of officers who simply do not care, who simply see files.
21:41And they end up not conducting frequent inspections, glossing over many things, and always assuming that maybe you will have
21:52an incident or two.
21:53Some people will die.
21:55Some people will get charge-heated.
21:57But life goes on.
21:59But Mr. Higley, what really has changed from Uphahar to now?
22:02I'm sorry?
22:04What really has changed from Uphahar tragedy to now?
22:07Nothing has changed.
22:09Nothing has changed.
22:10And the very fact that the Uphahar tragedy was allowed ultimately to get down to a few days of imprisonment
22:21has sent a wrong message.
22:24The people who own Uphahar, if they had existed in the Western system, they would have been bankrupted out of
22:36existence.
22:37Yes.
22:38So whether it is the Bhopal gas tragedy, whether it is Uphahar, or whether it is this guest house, Indian
22:46lives lost in India are very cheaply compensated.
22:53Yes.
22:53And people do not have the time and the energy to go through the system which simply doesn't work.
23:01Absolutely.
23:02Neelam Krishnamurthy, what's disappointing is that tragedies after tragedies and they repeatedly exposed violations that authorities were supposed to prevent
23:12in the first place.
23:13You know, aren't safety norms?
23:17You know, aren't safety norms supposed to save lives and not to be produced after a disaster?
23:31Maria.
23:32Maria, can I come in?
23:32Ma'am, that's for you.
23:37It's for me?
23:38Yes, ma'am.
23:39Hello.
23:40Yes, ma'am.
23:41Yeah.
23:41Maria, I like to say something.
23:43You know, you were actually asking Sanjay that, you know, about the case, why these officials
23:48are not being, you know, prosecuted and all.
23:50And he did say about it's very difficult to prove culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
23:54But unfortunately, you see, the Supreme Court itself has set up a very bad precedent by upholding
24:02the conviction of answers only in 304a.
24:05I agree that they were charge sheeted under 304a.
24:08We moved an application for to charge, you know, to increase the to enhance the charges
24:12to 304 part 2.
24:14But the High Court said since the prosecuting agency hasn't done so, so I cannot enhance anyway.
24:20But the Supreme Court gave a very specific finding in this judgment.
24:25Although the answers fall within the four corners of 304 part 2, that is culpable homicide
24:33not amounting to murder.
24:35This is one of the judge.
24:36It was a DB judgment.
24:37And then she said, but because they've already faced a trial for 16 long years, so it's not
24:44right for us to send them back for a Denova trial.
24:48So my, this is, when everybody knows there is enough trial and despite that, then you
24:54allow them to walk free.
24:55So it's, and this is this judgment, Supreme Court judgment, which why I am highlighting
25:02this is, this is being cited all over.
25:04That's right.
25:04I read in the papers, even when these people in Goa, when they arguing for the bail, they
25:10cited uphar.
25:11And they said, how can it be 304 part 2, culpable homicide?
25:14It has, it can only be 304A.
25:16They cited uphar.
25:17Then in the bridge, the bridge collapse in Gujarat, they cited uphar.
25:22Everywhere they're citing this judgment.
25:25So Supreme Court has laid down a very, very bad precedence saying this, that this kind
25:30of cases can only be ration negligent act.
25:33It is not ration negligent.
25:35This is murder by negligence and nothing else.
25:37And everybody knew and Supreme Court given a very nice finding.
25:40They have done this only to increase their profits.
25:43What is Mr. Bajaj done here?
25:45He's increased the number of rooms from 6 to 25 to increase his profits.
25:49And very conveniently, it is his manager who is signing everything.
25:52Even he is the licensee.
25:54Every single document is in his manager's name.
25:56He will use the same argument in the court.
25:59But unfortunately, he was the ultimate beneficiary.
26:02So, they will have to seize all the documents for when they are going for the trial.
26:07So, there are a lot of lacunas, but it is for the courts to lay down a proper law because
26:14Uppar Fiat Rajini is the only one which has reached the Supreme Court of India.
26:18And now that has become the law all over the country.
26:20But shouldn't that have been the case?
26:22I'm sorry.
26:23Somebody should do something about this.
26:25This must be revisited.
26:27So, you are saying that Uppar tragedy judgment should be revisited, ma'am?
26:33You know the government…
26:33Because it has set precedence.
26:35Or if I know legally it cannot be revisited.
26:38No.
26:38To be very honest, I know it cannot be revisited.
26:41But at least the government can do something.
26:43Let the government come out with the law to say that such man-made disasters should be
26:48dealt with the specific law.
26:49And in that the period of incarceration should not be less than 10 years.
26:56And it should be a non-vailable offense.
26:58The trial should be concluded in 2 years.
27:01Not like in Uppar because it is the accused who know all the lacunas.
27:05They will delay the trial.
27:06And by the time it reaches the Supreme Court, they would have passed about 20, 30 years.
27:10And Mr. Bajaj also will be by about 90 or 95 by the time the matter reaches the Supreme
27:14Court.
27:14So, at least the government can do this.
27:16I know Uppar can't be revisited.
27:18I know that very well.
27:19I am pretty well aware of that.
27:21But they can do something for the future.
27:23I have faced the outcome of my case.
27:27I know it.
27:28I have been let down very badly and all right.
27:30I know it.
27:30But let's do something for the future.
27:32Sanjay Hegde, what can be done for the future?
27:36Well, the government, as Neelam says, can pass a specific law.
27:41That will then govern the future.
27:44But in any other case also, maybe a larger bench of the Supreme Court can deal with the
27:52victim as laid down in Uppar and maybe rework and look at it.
27:57All right.
27:58Sanjay Hegde, Neelam Krishnamurthy, Sanjay Sahai, Anitinti, I appreciate your time.
28:02Thank you for joining us.
28:04Ladies and gentlemen, I mean, we keep on talking about it.
28:07It's really concerning.
28:09What really is the value of a no objection certificate if it cannot really prevent an
28:14obvious tragedy?
28:16This was a tragedy waiting to happen and it has happened.
28:19It has killed 21 lives, destroyed 21 families and, you know, perhaps left multiple lessons
28:27which should have been learned.
28:29It has not been learned.
28:30What happens now remains to be seen.
28:32That's all from me.
28:33I'll be seeing you tomorrow.
28:34Thanks so much for watching.
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