Delhi fire: Multiple raids in 2 states led to arrest of building owner

NEW DELHI: Police said multiple raids were conducted in Delhi and Haryana to nab Manish Lakra, the owner of the building in Mundka that had caught fire on Friday. Cops are now looking for other members of his family who are absconding.
Lakra had built two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom on the top floor of the building, police said. "Inquiry revealed that the building originally belonged to his father, who died in 2015. The property then passed to Lakra in 2016," an officer said.
Apart from Lakra, Harish Goel and his brother Varun, owners of a company that was operating in the building, were also arrested earlier, said deputy commissioner of police (outer) Sameer Sharma. While the brothers were rescued, their father is missing.
Sources said the Goel brothers were operating initially on the first floor in 2017 and then started another company in 2018-19 on the second and third floors. When police questioned them about the details of the company and its employees, they said most of the documents were destroyed in the fire.
Investigation also revealed that no tenant verification or police clearance certificate was taken by all three accused. Delhi Police said it will write to various agencies to seek details related to the building and how the company was operating without a licence or a fire NOC.
According to police, the owners during questioning stated that they were paying a rent of about Rs 1 lakh and had a turnover of Rs 50-60 crore. The building had a staircase for entry and exit, but it was usually stacked with goods ready to be dispatched.
Meanwhile, cops said they have collected the DNA samples of all 27 people killed in the fire. "The entire process will take five to 10 days," an officer said.