New Delhi: Just hours before the devastating fire that engulfed an entire building in southeast Delhi’s Tughlaqabad, one of the suspects, Sarita, along with a 17-year-old girl, had allegedly conducted a recce of the premises to identify the scooter belonging to Deepak, a tenant with whom she had a monetary dispute. The vehicle would later be set ablaze, an act that resulted in the loss of three lives.
Recce and Planning
Investigators said between 10pm and 10.30pm Thursday, the duo visited the area, where Sarita allegedly pointed out the target building and identified the scooter parked outside. She is believed to have asked the teenager to survey the surroundings and assess the movement of people in the locality while she went upstairs to the fifth floor to meet Deepak’s wife Mumtaz, apparently to avoid arousing suspicion.
However, Deepak’s brother claimed that Sarita came to the house later around midnight and spoke to Mumtaz, asking about Deepak’s whereabouts. When told he was in Agra, she left. “It was pre-planned. She wanted to know about my brother’s whereabouts,” he said.
The Arson
According to police, Sarita and the minor returned to the building at 2.22am Friday. CCTV cameras allegedly captured the teenager entering the premises and setting Deepak’s scooter ablaze. Within moments, the flames spread rapidly, engulfing large parts of the residential building. Three people lost their lives in the blaze, while five others sustained injuries.
Victim's Account
Deepak’s brother said he left Delhi around Thursday noon for Agra to help a friend file a police complaint and search for his missing sister. Around 2am Friday, while he was at a police station in Agra, he received a frantic call from his wife informing him that a fire had broken out in their building and pleading for him to return immediately.
Deepak had earlier told police that he and Mumtaz were supposed to move into a new house the same day, but the plan was delayed after he had to leave for Agra at short notice.
Investigation and Criminal Links
Police are also investigating if there’s a wider conspiracy behind the incident. Police said Niranjan, one of the arrested suspects, has a long criminal record, with alleged involvement in 11 cases, including one murder, two attempted murder cases, assault, robbery, Arms Act violations, and firing incidents. Police had sought cancellation of his bail due to the serious nature of the offences. Investigators are probing if he played a direct role in the arson, whether he has links to an NDPS case, and if the minor was lured with the promise of money. Niranjan’s brother Rajkumar, too, has a criminal background, with alleged involvement in five cases, including attempted murder, assault, firing, and Arms Act offences.
Casualties
The blaze, which erupted on June 12 in Street No. 1, Madhyam Marg, killed Pankaj Pandey (28), his sister Soni (20) and their maternal grandmother Sushila Devi (70). Five others were injured.
