3 min readNew DelhiJun 18, 2026 01:21 AM IST
First published on: Jun 16, 2026 at 04:41 AM IST
A monetary dispute, a recce, and a revenge — police said that these, together, claimed three lives in Southeast Delhi’s Tughlakabad Extension on the intervening night of June 12 and 13. According to the police, investigation revealed that a 17-year-old girl — who has now been apprehended — had been roaming around the house trying to figure out the entry and exit points.
A 27-year-old woman accompanied the minor, said police. The woman told police she had lent Rs 50,000 to one Rakesh who lives on the fourth floor of the building and the amount he owed to her, including interest, stood at Rs 80,000. While the minor stood guard near the gate, the woman went to the fourth floor only to find Rakesh’s partner who told her he was in Agra, police said.
“The woman wanted to know where Rakesh was. His partner told her that he had gone to Agra,” said a police officer.
The accused woman, who was later arrested, hatched a plan. She asked the minor to come again at night and set Rakesh’s electric scooter ablaze, police said.
“Her partner has 11 cases registered against him. She thought since Rakesh knew this, he would take things seriously and return the money he owed to her.But he allegedly refused and asked her to ‘do whatever she could’,” said a senior officer. Furious, the woman allegedly wanted revenge.
“The woman’s partner is involved in cases filed for charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery, firing and under the Arms Act. One of her friends is also involved in five case, including attempt to murder, assault, firing and ones filed under the Arms Act,” said another police officer.
The ground floor of the building was up in flames last week hours after the two women conducted their recce. The fire spread to two more floors.
The 17-year-old, police said, was captured by CCTV cameras entering and stepping out of the building seconds before the fire. She had her face covered, they added.
The blaze trapped residents and triggered panic. While several residents were rescued, eight people, who had sustained injuries, were taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre and Safdarjung Hospital for treatment.
However, three of them — Pankaj (28), his sister Soni (20), and their grandmother Sushila Devi (70) — succumbed to their injuries later.
At the site of the incident. (File photo). 
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