Bawana fire

The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) allots plots in the industrial area spread over 2,100 acres, which reported more than 450 fire emergencies and five fire-related deaths in 2017. The municipal corporation gives licences to run factories and warehouses.

The factory was originally in Shahdara but was shifted to Bawana as part of a government relocation scheme.

Delhi police has registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and under sections of the explosives act against Jain, who was arrested early on Sunday. He was produced before a city court, which remanded him in judicial custody for a day. The case was transferred to crime branch in the evening.

Rohini deputy commissioner of police Rajneesh Gupta said: “We are interrogating Jain to know if he had a licence. The factory was stocking firecrackers used in stage shows and Holi celebrations.”

Jain used to run a plastic toy manufacturing unit in the building, but discontinued the business and started supplying firecrackers, he said.

According to MCD officials, building owner Uma Mittal applied for a fresh licence in 2015 but her application was shot down. YS Maan, spokesperson of the North MCD, said tenant Jain was using the building to store firecrackers illegally.

Civic officials said Jain’s factory was running without a licence, even as North MCD mayor Preeti Aggarwal of the BJP was purportedly caught on video cautioning her aides not to speak about the building because its licence was with the civic body. She denied making such a statement and called the video fake.

Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal and health minister Satyendar Jain visited the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital to meet families of the deceased.

“A probe committee has been formed. Action will be taken after we receive the report,” minister Jain said. According to police, those who died in the fire — 10 women and seven men — were workers between 18 and 65 years, mostly from parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Most of them were paid between ₹6,000 and ₹10,000 a month.

“We have identified 14 of the 17 bodies… The injured workers told us they were packing firecrackers, while Jain said he ran a colour packaging unit,” DCP Gupta said.