‘Kam se kam uski body toh dikhaye’: Family of 20-year-old killed in Delhi electronics store fire

A large force of police personnel stood alongside them. Soon, emotions boiled over. “We told the police that we won’t claim the bodies until we get justice…,” said Sunil Singla, uncle of one of the victims, Amandeep Kaur (22).

Amandeep had been working at the cash counter of the store since last October and lived nearby with her family in Raghubir Nagar.

The fire broke out Monday afternoon at Mahajan Electronics, located in a four-storey building in West Delhi’s Raja Nagar. Apart from Amandeep (22), three other staffers — Payal (20), Aayushi (22), and Ravi (28) — died after inhaling smoke. A fifth employee, Sandeep (25), remains hospitalised. They were on a lunch break when the blaze broke out.

The owner was arrested and was later granted bail, police said. A case was registered under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 287 (negligent conduct related to fire or combustible materials) of the BNS against the shop owner.

Police are yet to ascertain the cause of the blaze, which broke out on the second floor. DCP (West) Vichitra Veer said, “We are investigating all aspects, including whether there was any lapse in fire safety norms or negligence in handling electrical equipment.”

Back at the hospital, some family members took shelter under sheds to avoid the brief drizzle.

Sitting with her arms crossed was Payal’s elder sister, Vandana. “We’ve been waiting here since 7.30 am. It’s almost 2.30 pm now, and they still haven’t let us see her.”

Next to her, Payal’s mother rocked gently from side to side, her eyes blank. “Kam se kam uski body toh dikhaye. Bina dekhe post-mortem ke liye bhej diya (At least let us see her body. They sent her for a post-mortem without letting us see her),” said her mother softly as she ran a tired hand over her face.

Payal had been working at the electronics store for the past month and a half, her sister said. After losing her father to diabetes last year and watching her mother suffer from various ailments, the young woman had decided to become the family’s breadwinner.

She worked in the e-commerce section of the store, taking care of online orders and the inventory. “I wanted to pursue a polytechnic course, but she loved to go to work. She liked the independence it gave her,” said Vandana.

Meanwhile, Aayushi’s family quietly accepted their daughter’s fate. “She worked there for two and a half years,” said Rajesh Gupta, her uncle, as he hurriedly bought a bottle of water for their long journey back home.

“Around 5 pm yesterday, four people from her office came and informed us that there was a blast in the office and she was admitted to the ICU… it took us three hours to reach DDU Hospital from Nangloi because of a traffic snarl. By the time we got there, we were told to go to the mortuary instead. She had died,” Gupta said.

“There was no place for them to escape. The shop was made in such a way that there was only one entry,” he alleged.
Payal’s uncle, Bijay, interjected: “We’re not asking for compensation out of greed. We’re poor people. Our family doesn’t even have money to arrange for her funeral rites.”

According to the police, a PCR call regarding the incident was received around 3 pm on Monday. The Delhi Fire Services deployed five fire tenders.

“Bystanders said five individuals were trapped inside. After sustained efforts, all of them were taken out and sent to hospitals. Four people lost their lives in this unfortunate incident, while one person is undergoing treatment,” DCP Veer had said on Monday..

(Pranay Singh Dhaka is an intern with The Indian Express)