NEW DELHIKeshav Negi, 65, who had worked as a head chef at Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar’s Hauz Rani for over a year, was arrested last week. (HT Archive)A Delhi court on Monday denied bail to the chef arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with a fire that broke out at a bed-and-breakfast facility in Hauz Rani last week, killing 22 people.Keshav Negi, 65, who had worked as a head chef at Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar’s Hauz Rani for over a year, was arrested last week, on allegations of failing to inform guests or the police about the fire which police claimed had spread from the kitchen. He was subsequently sent to two days’ police custody.The order was passed by judicial magistrate First Class Bhanu Pratap Singh of Saket courts, arguing that the head chef of the facility showed “gross” and “negligent” act by saving himself even as the fire allegedly emerged from the kitchen due to leakage from the rubber pipes of LPG cylinders.Police had claimed that Negi was among the first ones to escape the spot, constituting negligence.Meanwhile, Jay Mishra, the accountant of the facility, surrendered before the court on Monday and was sent to two days’ police custody. The B&B’s owner, Lovkesh Bajaj, was also taken to two more days’ custody.Negi had moved for bail through counsels Deepak Prakash and Sriram Parakkat. He was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody by court.“A cook engaged merely to prepare food cannot be made the scapegoat for the systemic safety failures and statutory violations of the proprietors,” his counsels submitted before court.They argued that the responsibility for the safety or evacuation of the guests lay within the domain of proprietors and the offence cannot be attributed to a chef.The counsels further contended that the fire took place because of a short circuit in the wiring, which allegedly melted the pipes. “After having realised that the fire was caused because of electric fault, the accused, like any other man of prudence, switched off the switches and also called the manager, Mr Rupesh,” his counsels submitted.Negi said that it was instinctive human response to rescue your own self in such a sudden occurring and no ill-intention could be attributed to the act.The prosecutor also said that releasing Negi would hamper the investigation as he might influence fellow employees.