As investigators work to determine the cause of the devastating fire at a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar that left 21 people dead, scrutiny has intensified on the property's owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, and the hotel's management.Official sources have identified Bajaj as the owner of the establishment where the blaze occurred. Delhi Police have launched a search operation to trace him, with multiple teams carrying out raids across the national capital as part of an ongoing manhunt.Who is the hotel owner?Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of Flourish Stay, the bed-and-breakfast (B&B) in Delhi's Malviya Nagar where a fire claimed 21 lives, including 12 foreign nationals, has emerged as a central figure in the ongoing investigation. Delhi Police arrested Bajaj hours after the tragedy and are probing alleged violations of fire safety norms and licensing regulations at the property.According to investigators, Bajaj told police that he left the area after the fire broke out and was not involved in rescue efforts. He has maintained that the day-to-day operations of the establishment were being handled by Jai Mishra, who is also under investigation. Authorities are examining whether the B&B was operating in violation of prescribed safety standards and regulatory requirements.In a tragedy that was perhaps waiting to happen, the hotel had permission for only six rooms, granted under the Delhi government's bed and breakfast policy, but was operating 25, police officials said. Rooms had also come up in the basement.The structure housed a restaurant on the ground floor while the basement and the upper floors were being used as the hotel.The fire broke out around 8.30 am at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani, Malviya Nagar, and rapidly engulfed the five-storey building, which officials said had only one entry-exit point, permanently sealed windows and a sensor-operated main door — factors that turned it into a virtual death trap.As flames spread through the property, catching many occupants off guard and some while they were asleep, rescue teams aided by local residents rushed to evacuate those trapped inside.At least 58 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, where 21 were declared dead on arrival. Among the victims were nine Indians, including eight members of an extended family.Can owner Lavkesh Bajaj be charged with culpable homicide?The charge is legally sustainable given what has emerged so far, Vivek Narayan Sharma, Senior Counsel and Constitutional Expert at the Supreme Court of India, told TOi. "If the allegations presently emerging from the investigation are found to be correct, this case appears to transcend the realm of mere negligence and enter the domain of criminal culpability under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Operating a premises allegedly permitted for six rooms, as a 25-room establishment, including basement occupancy, without a valid fire NOC and other statutory permissions and with only a single exit route, points towards a conscious disregard of known safety risks," Sharma told TOI.The investigation would likely focus on whether the establishment had a valid eating house licence, a functional fire NOC, and whether occupancy limits were violated. Investigators will scrutinise building sanction plans, fire NOC validity records, inspection reports, and any prior notices issued for violations. If authorities find that notices were issued but never enforced, questions will arise over administrative negligence as well."Equally important is the examination of regulatory oversight. If violations existed for a prolonged period despite inspections, complaints or official records, questions of administrative accountability will inevitably arise. The tragedy also exposes repeated systemic concerns regarding the monitoring of hotels, guest houses and hospitality establishments operating beyond sanctioned limits," Sharma said."The law distinguishes between an unforeseen accident and a disaster that becomes foreseeable because repeated safety norms are knowingly ignored. If the prosecution establishes prior knowledge of the risks and continued operation despite those risks, criminal liability may extend far beyond ordinary negligence," he further added.Green Residency, located just 100 metres from the fire site, was found to be running 28 rooms on a six-room permit. Its fire NOC is also under the scanner. Both establishments were openly listed on online travel platforms, raising questions about how regulatory agencies failed to act for years, and whether online travel aggregators bear any due diligence responsibility.