Dehradun, June 7 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said that he had a conversation with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta over the arrest of Keshav Negi, a cook who was arrested in the Malviya Nagar hotel fire case, stating that she had assured him that no innocent person would face injustice.

A massive fire broke out in the multi-storeyed Flourish Stay B&B in the Malviya Nagar area on June 3, claiming 21 lives, including 13 foreigners, and injuring dozens of others. The property’s owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, was arrested following the tragic incident.

Keshav Negi (65) was arrested on Saturday after the investigation revealed that the fire was allegedly caused by his negligence.

In a post on X, CM Dhami said, “Today, I held discussions with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Rekha Gupta, regarding the arrest of Mr Keshav Negi from Uttarakhand in connection with the Malviya Nagar fire incident.”

Expressing confidence in an impartial investigation, the Chief Minister said, “Rekha Gupta has assured that no innocent person will face injustice and that the investigation will be conducted entirely based on facts and evidence. I have full confidence that the Delhi government and the concerned agencies will bring the truth to light through an impartial investigation.”

CM Dhami said that he also spoke with Keshav Negi’s daughter, Kanishka Negi, and assured all possible assistance to her.

“Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with all migrant brothers and sisters from Uttarakhand living across the country,” he added.

Earlier, BJP MP Trivendra Singh Rawat came out in support of Keshav Negi, a cook who was arrested in the Malviya Nagar hotel fire case, and assured all possible legal support to him to ensure justice.

BJP MP Trivendra Rawat said that he and Garhwal MP Anil Baluni met Delhi Police seeking a fair, transparent probe to avoid injustice.

Meanwhile, during the probe into the incident, the officials said that the hotel only had permission to operate six rooms; however, it was operating on over 20.

Additionally, the hotel had reportedly been operating for seven to eight years without obtaining a mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Services, officials said.

Investigation into the tragic fire is continuing, and further details are awaited.

–IANS

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