Somnath Bharti blames rivals for fire at house

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti had a narrow escape on Sunday after a major fire broke out at the AAP MLA’s house in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar.

Though the cause of the fire was immediately not clear, Bharti alleged that the blaze was a conspiracy by his rivals to harm him and his family members. Bharti alleged that his building was deliberately set on fire, but admitted that he did not have any evidence to support his claims.

Senior Delhi fire services (DFS) officials said the fire broke out around 1.30am at the first floor of the building that also houses Bharti’s law chamber from where he runs his legal office.

The blaze quickly spread to the second floor and damaged 60-70% of the floor. Bharti’s flat, which is situated on the second floor, was only partially affected.

A fire department official said that Bharti and his family members were not injured in the incident. His pet dog, Don, too had a miraculous escape, even as though he was trapped inside the flat while the fire had reached the second floor.

Bharti’s family members were not present in the building when the blaze erupted. “Don was trapped inside the flat as the blaze reached the common staircase. We somehow rescued him and saved his life,” Bharti told Hindustan Times.

A fire department official said that four fire tenders were rushed to the spot and it took them around two hours to douse the flames. By 3am, the fire was under control. They suspect that a short-circuit could have trigged the blaze.

According to the AAP MLA, his office on the first floor was gutted and important files and documents lying there were destroyed.