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Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the crime: 33-year-old Niranjan, his 27-year-old brother Rajkumar, and 27-year-old Sarita. A 17-year-old minor girl has also been detained by authorities
A view of the residential building in Gali No. 1, Tughlakabad Extension, where three people were killed after a massive fire broke out early Friday.(Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times)A fatal blaze that claimed three lives in a residential building in south Delhi’s Tughlakabad last Friday was a deliberate act of arson rather than a tragic accident. Investigators discovered the fire was intentionally set, rooted in a bitter financial dispute between two cousins.
Minor girl among four held
Local police have arrested three individuals in connection with the crime: 33-year-old Niranjan, his 27-year-old brother Rajkumar, and 27-year-old Sarita. A 17-year-old minor girl has also been detained by authorities. The two women are reportedly in relationships with the accused brothers.
According to law enforcement, the minor girl confessed to igniting a parked scooter on the ground floor just after midnight on June 12. The flames quickly tore upward, ultimately engulfing the entire five-story structure.
Emergency responders managed to rescue eight residents, rushing them to nearby medical facilities. Unfortunately, three victims—identified as Pankaj, Sushila Devi, and Sonia Kumari—succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.
What police found
The investigation, which initially treated the incident as a case of accidental negligence, pivoted sharply after CCTV footage emerged. The video captured a young girl entering the premises moments before the inferno began, allowing police to identify and detain the minor.
Under interrogation, the teenager revealed that Sarita had pressured her into targeting the scooter. The vehicle belonged to Niranjan's cousin, Deepak, who resided on the fifth floor. Officials stated that Sarita supplied the minor with the petrol and matches used to spark the blaze.
The underlying motive stems from an unresolved monetary conflict between Deepak and Niranjan, the latter having been recently released from prison on an unrelated charge.
The three adult suspects face severe criminal charges, including criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, attempted murder, mischief by fire, and house-trespass. Authorities are continuing to investigate whether any other accomplices participated in planning the attack.
Fire breaks out at restaurant in Delhi
A fire broke out at an eatery close to Desh Bandhu Gupta College in New Delhi early Sunday morning. Emergency response officials said that the blaze has since been brought under control. Thanks to a swift response, all individuals present inside the establishment were safely evacuated from the building, and no injuries have been reported.
On the incident, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ved Prakash said: "I received the call around 5:15 am regarding the incident. There was a restaurant, and a banquet hall was located above it. Six fire tenders arrived, and the situation was brought under control."
He further added: "The restaurant wasn't operational at that time. It appears the fire started in a temporary structure on the upper floor. The exact cause isn't clear yet, though a short circuit is a possibility. Everyone was rescued safely from the adjacent building. There were about 10 to 12 people... Our team is on-site managing the situation, and the District Magistrate is also expected to arrive shortly."
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