The police have registered an FIR under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire) and 125 (endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against unknown persons.
On Thursday morning, a crowd of artisans and vendors stood outside the gates of Dilli Haat. They were waiting to go inside to salvage whatever was left of their wares after their stalls — 30 of them — were gutted in a blaze that tore through the popular handicrafts market the previous night.
Among them was Intezar, who had watched in helpless horror as his shop of potli bags and jewellery was reduced to ashes in the fire. “I’ve lost at least Rs 8-9 lakh worth of stock. I hope they’ll let us in soon. I can only hope to save some beads from the bags and some stones from the jewellery,” he said.
