Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of the Malviya Nagar hotel where a devastating fire recently claimed 21 lives, was arrested and chargesheeted by the Delhi Police in 2025 in a case involving illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who allegedly obtained Indian identity documents using his residential address.According to police records, a case registered at the Paharganj police station in January 2025 uncovered a network involving Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in Delhi with fraudulently procured Indian documents.During the investigation, the police identified two Bangladeshi women–Sweety Sarkar, alias Beauty Hawladar, alias Johra Khatoon, and her daughter Pushpo Sarkar, alias Puspo Saiyada Akther–along with a minor child living illegally in Paharganj using forged identity papers, including passports and Aadhaar cards.Investigators found that Sweety had obtained an Indian passport using the address of a property in Chattarpur Enclave, which belonged to Bajaj, a resident of Saket.During questioning, Bajaj allegedly admitted to knowingly allowing the accused to use his address for obtaining identity documents in exchange for money. The police concluded that he had facilitated their illegal stay by providing address proof for official documentation.Subsequently, Bajaj along with the two Bangladeshi women was arrested and later granted bail. A chargesheet was filed before the court against all three accused. The police also initiated separate legal proceedings concerning the minor child found in the case. “The case was registered in January and he was arrested months later after the police found his connivance during the investigation. He was sent to Tihar Jail and came out on bail after 15 days,” the police said, adding the matter was still sub judice.The revelation has brought renewed attention to Bajaj following the deadly fire at his Malviya Nagar hospitality establishment where investigators are already examining possible violations of fire safety norms and licensing requirements. Authorities are probing whether lapses in compliance contributed to the high death toll in one of Delhi’s worst fire tragedies in recent years.During questioning, Bajaj reportedly told investigators that he was passing near the guest house when the fire erupted but chose not to stop and instead fled the area out of fear. He allegedly claimed he did not return home after the incident and spent the night moving across different parts of the city.The accused also told the police that he had purchased the property around three years ago from a person identified as Ahluwalia and was operating it as a hotel-cum-guest house. He claimed the building previously housed a khadi store and was already in a dilapidated condition when he acquired it.Bajaj further asserted that he possessed permissions for bed-and-breakfast operations, tourist accommodation, healthcare-related services and restaurant activities. However, the Delhi Police and other agencies are currently verifying the authenticity of these claims and examining whether all required licences and safety clearances were valid.Meanwhile, the police said Bajaj had also been booked earlier for allegedly violating safety norms at the establishment. They said an FIR was filed against him in 2024 over the absence of mandatory safety measures, including CCTV cameras and metal detectors.