4 of family die after shop catches fire in Dilshad Garden

As per initial investigations, the fire department received a call at around 5.45 am. The deceased have been identified as Pradeep Jaiswal (59), his son Rajan (34), Rajan’s wife Anuja (33) and their son Anshul (8). The Jaiswals ran a dry cleaning unit attached to their flat in the DDA colony. 

In a bid to save their pet dog, Teddy, a black Labrador, Pradeep went inside their shop adjoining their house but both choked and died. At the same time, Rajan had locked his son and wife inside the bathroom located in their house to save them but they too died of suffocation. The surviving family members are Pradeep Jaiswal’s wife, Saroj and their younger daughter, Sejal.

Recounting the horror, Sejal, a class X student said: “I was the first one to wake up since I had to go to school. However, I was feeling feverish so I told my mother that I won’t go. In between, I sensed smoke coming from somewhere and raised an alarm. My father was in the washroom while other family members were sleeping. It all had started around 5 am. Till the time we could do anything, our entire house had filled with smoke.”

The Jaiswals lived on the ground floor and their dry cleaning shop was attached to it. They were building another house adjoining the current one. Sejal said: “Our main door was jammed. So my mother and I ran towards the other door which is under construction” she added.

“Within minutes, three generations of the family were burnt to ashes,” said Anuja’s father. According to the police, all the family members were taken to GTB hospital. “Our Crime team and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) team are scanning the place to establish the cause behind the fire. Preliminary investigation suggests the fire was caused due to short-circuit. We are awaiting the report submitted by our forensic team. Investigation is on,” said A K Singla, DCP (North-East).

Savita, who lived on the first floor of the same building said: “The fire started at around 5 am. But it was only later that my family and I, heard a loud noise. By then our entire place was filled with smoke. We somehow managed to rescue ourselves and our karigars (labourers). The fire was so bad that we heard their screams till the time that it became all silent.”

Brijmohan, a close family friend shared how Pradeep was a fun loving person. “Pradeep was working in DTC and was to retire in 3-4 months. He used to share his plans of starting a charak (starch) factory in a plot of land which he had bought. He used to jokingly say “Dear friend, do drop in at my new workplace.” A thorough gentleman, Rajan was just like his father.” 

Brijmohan added that the fire was so intense that the fire department officials had to cut open the front shutter with the help of more than 40 people who pulled it open with a rope.