India, July 28 -- A Delhi court on Monday granted bail to 65-year-old Keshar Negi, the cook employed at the Hauz Rani bed-and-breakfast facility that was gutted in a fire last month, killing 23 people.

Additional sessions judge Samar Vishal of the Saket courts held that Negi could not be held criminally liable merely for performing his routine duties in the kitchen.

"The mere fact that the applicant was required, in the ordinary course of his employment, to operate kitchen appliances... cannot, by itself, lead to an inference that he was criminally negligent or legally responsible for the unfortunate incident," the court said, adding that operating such equipment was an integral part of his job as a chef and, without anything more, coul...