Four arrested for allegedly setting off fatal Govindpuri fire
Delhi Police have apprehended a 17-year-old minor girl and arrested three adults for their alleged role in a deliberate arson attack that killed three members of a family and injured eight others in Tughlakabad Extension, Govindpuri, Southeast Delhi.
The fire broke out at around 2:24 am on Friday, June 12, in building No. RZ-171/1 under the Govindpuri police station limits. What was initially suspected to be an accidental blaze caused by a short circuit was later confirmed as planned arson stemming from a personal and monetary dispute.
The deceased have been identified as 28-year-old Pankaj (also known as Kuku), the family’s sole breadwinner who had lost his father to cancer two years ago; his 20-year-old sister Soni (or Sonia); and their 70-year-old maternal grandmother Sushila Devi. All three lived on the third floor. Pankaj’s mother, 50-year-old Guddi Devi (who is speech-impaired), and his 18-year-old sister Moni (or Mani) are critically injured and under treatment at Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS Trauma Centre. Eight people in total were injured in the blaze.
According to police, the minor girl from Navjeevan Camp in Govindpuri entered the building’s ground-floor parking area minutes before the fire, poured petrol on a scooter belonging to Deepak, a fifth-floor resident, and set it ablaze using a matchbox. CCTV footage captured a woman, later identified as the minor with her face partially covered, entering and exiting the premises shortly before the incident. The flames then spread rapidly, engulfing multiple floors and trapping residents.
During questioning, the minor disclosed that she was instigated and provided petrol and a matchbox by 27-year-old Sarita from Girinagar in Govindpuri.
Further probing revealed that Sarita acted on the instructions of brothers Niranjan (33) and Rajkumar (27), both residents of Navjeevan Camp, who allegedly hatched the conspiracy to settle a personal and financial score with Deepak.
An FIR was initially registered at the Govindpuri police station for fire-related negligence. On Sunday, Delhi Police added charges of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, attempt to commit culpable homicide, mischief by fire, and lurking house-trespass by night under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). All four accused, the minor girl, Sarita, Niranjan, and Rajkumar, have been apprehended.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Southeast district, Hemant Tiwari, stated that the minor confessed to acting at Sarita’s behest to target Deepak’s scooter over the monetary dispute. “She told us that Sarita had instigated her, providing petrol and a matchbox to set ablaze the scooter of one Deepak, over a monetary dispute,” Tiwari said. The fire’s rapid spread and the building’s iron grills and locked terrace hampered rescue efforts, though locals formed human chains and fire services evacuated trapped residents.
The case highlights concerns about the involvement of a minor in a serious crime and the use of juveniles in disputes, said a police official involved in the probe.
Police are continuing the investigation to determine whether more people were involved and to reconstruct the sequence of events fully. The accused are being questioned, and further arrests or charges cannot be ruled out.
The incident has left the local community in shock, with residents demanding stricter action against those responsible for endangering innocent lives over a personal vendetta. The three deceased were laid to rest amid mourning, while the injured remain under medical care. Further updates are expected as the probe progresses.
