Delhi hotel fire: India Today probe exposes safety, regulatory violations in Hauz Rani

An undercover investigation by the India Today Special Investigation Team reveals safety and regulatory violations in Delhi's Hauz Rani area following a fire in Malviya Nagar that killed twenty-one people. The probe exposes how properties originally approved under the Delhi government's Bed and Breakfast Scheme are operating as full-fledged guest houses and hotels. These establishments cater to foreign patients visiting the nearby Max Hospital and their families. Despite the tragedy, undercover reporters found brokers offering rooms for fifteen hundred to thirty-three hundred rupees per day without requiring identification, paperwork, or police verification. The investigation highlights that mandatory C form submissions for foreign nationals are ignored. The footage shows narrow corridors, cramped exits, residential structures converted into commercial spaces, overhead electrical wires, and street encroachments that obstruct emergency vehicles. The report raises questions about the oversight and enforcement by the MCD, Delhi Police, Fire Department, and local administration regarding this unregulated network of guest houses in the national capital.