CCI's 1st chairman, ex-World Bank executive director Dhanendra Kumar dies in suspected AC blast in Delhi home

Dhanendra Kumar, the first chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has died following a suspected air-conditioner blast at his Hauz Khas residence in Delhi. The retired IAS officer had reportedly planned an early celebration for his 80th birthday, which is on June 6, tomorrow, May 30.

He was admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre at around midnight and died at 7.50 am on Thursday, May 28, an official at the mortuary told Hindustan Times (HT). Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal told PTI that Kumar succumbed to smoke inhalation during treatment.

At the time of the incident, his wife Manju, son Gourav, and two domestic staff were inside the residence.

Gourav sustained injuries in the fire while trying to rescue his parents and is undergoing treatment. His condition is stated to be out of danger, said police.

Dhanendra Kumar's postmortem and last rites will be conducted after his daughter, Ruchira Kumar, reaches Delhi on Friday. She works with the World Bank in the United States.

Here's what happened:

According to a PTI report citing Delhi Fire Services officials, a call regarding the blaze at a house in Hauz Khas Enclave was received at 11.24 pm on Wednesday, May 27, following which two fire tenders, including a water bowser, were rushed to the spot.

“The blaze was brought under control with the help of residents and police personnel,” Mittal said.

The fire, which was brought under control around 12.20 am, engulfed domestic articles on the ground floor and wooden windows on the first floor of the ground-plus-two-storey building, officials said.

Before fire personnel reached the spot, two injured people had already been shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre by PCR staff and members of the public.

What triggered the fire?

Preliminary inquiry suggested the blaze may have been caused by a blast in the indoor unit of an air-conditioner installed inside the house, according to a PTI report citing officials.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the fire started after a blast in the indoor unit of an air-conditioner in Gourav’s room.

A crime team inspected the spot, while an electrical inspection is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.

Police said Kumar was found unconscious inside the washroom, apparently due to heavy smoke inhalation. “No burn injuries were found on his body,” an officer said.

The police have recorded statements of eyewitnesses. “No foul play is suspected so far,” police said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

Dhanendra Kumar was in washroom when fire broke out

Dhanendra Kumar's manager, Naresh Sejwal, told HT that the AC unit in Gourav’s room exploded, triggering a fire that spread rapidly. “Kumar sir was in the washroom when the fire broke out," he said.

“The fire spread quickly across the room and lobby,” Sejwal said. “His wife is wheelchair-bound, so Gourav first helped her get out of the house. He then went back inside with two domestic helps to search for his father, but by then he had collapsed in the washroom.”

The three pulled Kumar out of the house, but he was unconscious.

Dhanendra Kumar's 80th birthday party was on May 30; had plans to go to London

Sejwal told HT that Gourav, who lives in London with his wife and children, had come to Delhi to take his parents to London for Kumar’s 80th birthday celebrations on June 6.

“Their tickets had already been booked. He had also planned a birthday gathering with friends and family in Delhi on May 30,” Sejwal said.

Who was Dhanendra Kumar?

Dhanendra Kumar, 80, was a former bureaucrat and the first chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

The 1968-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre had represented India at the World Bank as an Executive Director.

Kumar held several key administrative positions during his career, including Chairman and Managing Director of the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) and Principal Secretary to the Haryana chief minister.

Apart from his administrative career, Kumar was known as an author and public policy expert.