New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) In a first, the Delhi Police will use 3D laser imaging technology to simulate the scene of the incident at the Karol Bagh hotel where a fire killed 17 people, a senior police officer said Thursday.

Apart from enuring that there is no loss of evidence, the high-tech method will allow the police to zero in on how, why, where and when the fire started, Rajesh Deo, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) said.

On Thursday, a Crime Branch team visited the Arpit Palace hotel along with its arrested general manager Rajender and manager Vikas and with their inputs, recreated the scene of the incident that occurred early Tuesday.

The duo was interrogated as well, Deo said.

"We will be using cutting-edge technology for our investigation. This is the first time we are using a 3D laser technology to simulate the crime scene," Deo told PTI.

"The technology helps in avoiding deterioration of the scene of the incident and loss of evidence through digital recording," he added.

"Investigations like fire accidents also benefit from data of 3D laser scans by creating a fully digital accident reconstruction through simulations," he said further.

According to Deo, look out circulars have been issued against the property owner, Rakesh who was in Doha at the time of incident, and Shardendu Goel, the licensee of the hotel.

The mobile phones of the accused are switched off and the family members too are out of reach, the police said.

Following the incident, the Delhi government ordered a magisterial probe and directed the fire department to conduct inspection of buildings which have five floors or more.

The area's civic body too ordered a probe with officials accusing the hotel of violating municipal norms including running a makeshift restaurant on its rooftop.

Union minister K J Alphons who had visited the site of the incident, had pointed out that the emergency exit of the hotel was "too narrow" and also locked.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)