Doping proves deadly: Three charred to death at Lodhi Colony

Burnt bodies of the three men were found on the terrace room of Sewa Nagar Railway Colony building in South Delhi’s Lodhi Colony area on Thursday afternoon. 

According to the police, the victims have been identified as Ganesh, Gaurav and Sandeep aged between 18 and 24 years respectively. They were inhaling drugs when a sudden fire engulfed them leading to their death. Police have taken the bodies for post-mortem and investigation is on.

As per initial police investigation, the incident took place late on Wednesday night when the trio, living illegally on the terrace of the railway quarters, began inhaling drugs, police said. Gaurav is a native of Aligarh while the other two are Nepalese nationals.

“Ganesh, Gaurav and Sandeep all of whom working part time were smoking drugs when one of them lit a beedi that accidentally fell on a synthetic material lying in their room. High on drugs, they were unable to move and save themselves from the fire,” added a police officer privy to the investigation.

Police further said that the residents of the Sewa Nagar Railway Colony building got to know about the fire on Thursday morning when they saw smoke billowing out from the terrace. “We got the PCR call from a woman living on the second floor informing us about heavy smoke and smell coming from her terrace. We rushed to the spot along with the fire brigade. As per initial medical reports, there were no injury marks on the victims’ bodies,” said the officer.

“I work in a private firm. I got to know about the burnt bodies from my wife who told me that our electrician, Biharilal, along with the police team, had rushed upstairs,” said a neighbour.

Speaking to Millennium Post, Biharilal, an electrician by profession with the Railway Colony and also an eyewitness, said: “There was too much smell coming from the room. But I am sure that those men did not die of short circuit. The smell was so foul that it was difficult for even the policemen to take out their bodies.”

The investigating officer said: “The call was made by the widow of a retired railway employee who lives on the second floor. It is not sure if she had rented out the terrace room to them. She informed us that she had recently started living in the building after her husband passed away and she got a job.” 

Refuting the allegations that the three youth died due to short circuit, a senior police official said: “It was an accidental death. They were neither murdered nor did they die due to short circuit.” However, blood spots were clearly visible on the stairs leading to the second floor. Meanwhile, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC at the Lodhi Colony police station. Further investigation is underway.