Minor among four held in Delhi building arson case

A devastating fire that tore through a five-storey residential building in Delhi's Tughlakabad Extension, claiming three lives and injuring several others, was a planned act of arson carried out to settle a personal score, police said on Sunday.

The blaze erupted at around 2:24 am on 12 June in the Govindpuri area of southeast Delhi, triggering a massive rescue operation. Three people lost their lives and at least eight others suffered injuries, with victims rushed to Safdarjung Hospital and the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment.

What initially appeared to be an accidental fire has now taken a dramatic turn, with investigators concluding that the incident was deliberately orchestrated.

According to police, CCTV footage from the area showed a young woman entering the premises shortly before the fire broke out. The footage became a crucial lead in the investigation, eventually leading officers to a 17-year-old girl.

During questioning, the minor allegedly revealed that she had been persuaded by a woman identified as Sarita, 27, to procure petrol and a matchbox and set fire to a scooter belonging to a resident named Deepak. The alleged motive was a monetary dispute.

Further interrogation led investigators to what they describe as a larger conspiracy. Police said Sarita disclosed that the plan had been devised by Niranjan, 33, and his younger brother Rajkumar, 27, both residents of Navjeevan Camp in Govindpuri, to avenge a personal enmity.

Authorities believe the fire, intended to target a scooter, rapidly spread through the residential building, resulting in a deadly tragedy.

Following the revelations, police invoked several additional provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, attempt to culpable homicide, mischief by fire and lurking house trespass by night.

Investigators confirmed that the minor girl and the three adult accused have all been apprehended.

The victims who lost their lives were identified as Pankaj and Sonia Kumari, children of Subhash Chand Pandey, and Sushila Devi.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing as officers continue to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine the precise circumstances that led to the fatal blaze.

The incident also exposed the challenges faced by emergency responders. Delhi Fire Services officials said the building, comprising a ground floor and five upper floors, was located in a narrow lane, making rescue and firefighting operations particularly difficult.

With the alleged conspiracy now uncovered, the case has shifted from an accidental fire investigation to a homicide probe, raising serious questions about how a personal feud escalated into a tragedy that claimed three lives and left several others injured.

With IANS inputs