Dhanendra Kumar, the first chairman of the Competition Commission of India and a retired IAS officer, died from smoke inhalation after a fire triggered by an air conditioner explosion at his Hauz Khas home in Delhi on Wednesday night.
The fire broke out late on Wednesday night at House No. R-15 in Hauz Khas after an explosion in an indoor air conditioner unit on the ground floor. Police and fire services responded to a PCR call received at 11:18 pm and extinguished the blaze using two fire tenders.
Five people were present including Kumar, his wife, son and two domestic workers. Kumar, 80, and his son were taken to hospital. He was declared dead at the AIIMS Trauma Centre due to smoke inhalation while his son is reported to be out of danger.
DCP South Anant Mittal said electrical inspectors are examining possible causes such as short-circuit or overheating. No signs of foul play have been found so far. Kumar was a 1968-batch IAS officer from the Haryana cadre who later served as the first chairman of the Competition Commission of India from 2009 to 2011.
