Lavkesh Bajaj, the proprietor of the Malviya Nagar hotel where a recent fire claimed 21 lives, has been linked to a previous legal case involving the alleged facilitation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants obtaining Indian identity documents through his residential address.
Information available with The Chenab Times indicates that Bajaj was previously chargesheeted by the Delhi Police in connection with this earlier case, registered at the Paharganj Police Station in January 2025. The investigation at that time uncovered a network of Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in Delhi, who had allegedly procured Indian identification documents through fraudulent means.
During the course of the Paharganj investigation, law enforcement identified two Bangladeshi women, identified as Sweety Sarkar, also known as Beauty Hawladar and Johra Khatoon, and her daughter Pushpo Sarkar, also referred to as Puspo Saiyada Akther, along with a minor child. These individuals were found to be living in the Paharganj area using forged Indian identity papers, including passports and Aadhaar cards.
Investigators subsequently discovered that Sweety Sarkar had managed to obtain an Indian passport by utilizing the address of a property located in Chattarpur Enclave. Upon verification, it was determined that this address belonged to Lavkesh Bajaj, who resides in Saket.
Under interrogation, Bajaj reportedly confessed to allowing the accused individuals to use his address for the purpose of acquiring Indian identity documents, allegedly in exchange for financial compensation. The police concluded that his actions had aided their illegal stay in India by providing the necessary address proof for official documentation purposes.
Following this revelation, Bajaj was arrested in connection with the case, alongside the two Bangladeshi women. A chargesheet was subsequently filed by the prosecution before the relevant court, naming all three individuals as accused. Separate legal proceedings were also initiated concerning the minor child found during the course of the investigation.
This prior legal entanglement involving Bajaj has resurfaced in the wake of the deadly fire at his hospitality establishment in Malviya Nagar. Authorities are currently conducting thorough examinations into potential violations of fire safety norms and licensing requirements at the hotel, which was known to cater to foreign patients and their attendants.
The ongoing investigations are also seeking to determine whether any lapses in compliance with safety regulations and operational guidelines contributed to the high death toll in the incident, which has been described as one of Delhi’s most severe fire tragedies in recent years. The hotel, identified as Flourish Stay B&B, experienced the blaze which resulted in the deaths of 21 individuals and left several others injured.
A multi-agency effort is underway, with parallel investigations being conducted by the Delhi Police, the Delhi Fire Service, and various civic authorities. These joint efforts aim to meticulously scrutinize all aspects of the incident and ascertain the precise circumstances that led to the catastrophic fire.
The Chenab Times News Desk