17-year-old girl among four held for setting Delhi building ablaze

Delhi Police have arrested three accused and apprehended a minor girl for allegedly orchestrating a deadly fire in Tughlakabad that killed three people and injured eight. Investigators say the blaze was a planned act of arson linked to personal enmity and a monetary dispute

New Delhi: A massive fire which broke out in a multi-storey building in Delhi’s Tughlakabad area on June 12, claiming three lives, was a deliberate act to avenge personal enmity, police said on Sunday, adding that three accused have been apprehended in connection with the incident.

The blaze was reported at 2:24 am on Friday in a five-storey residential building located at Tughlakabad Extension, in Delhi’s Govindpuri area. At least eight people sustained injuries in the incident and were rushed to Safdarjung Hospital and the AIIMS Trauma Centre.

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Following the tragedy, a case u/s 287/106(1) BNS (erstwhile Sections 304A/285 IPC) was registered by the police, and an investigation was initiated. During the investigation, CCTV footage showed a woman entering the premises shortly before the fire broke out. According to investigators, the incident is a “deliberate act of arson”.

Police apprehended a 17-year-old minor girl in relation to the case, who disclosed that one Sarita, aged 27 years, had instigated her to provide petrol and a matchbox to set ablaze the scooty of a building resident, identified as Deepak, over a monetary dispute.

Officials said that Sarita, in turn, has revealed during interrogation that the conspiracy was hatched at the instance of Niranjan, a 33-year-old resident of Navjeevan Camp in Govind Puri and his 27-year-old brother Rajkumar, to avenge a personal dispute.

Accordingly, additional sections — 61 (Criminal Conspiracy), 105 (Culpable Homicide), 110 (Attempt to Culpable Homicide), 326(g) (Mischief by Fire), and 331(4) (Lurking House-Trespass by Night) BNS — were added to the case.

Moreover, investigators confirmed that the minor girl as well as the three other accused have been apprehended. The deceased have been identified as Pankaj and Sonia Kumari, both children of Subhash Chand Pandey. Another victim, Sushila Devi, also lost her life in the tragedy.

Police said further investigation is underway into the incident. Delhi Fire Services (DFS) Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) Yashwant Singh Meena had previously said that the building comprises a ground floor and five upper floors and is located in a narrow street, which posed significant challenges for rescue and firefighting operations.