Ajmer: Residents of Kishangarh in Ajmer district gathered at the houses of businessman Ashok Pansari, retired banker Javeri Lal Agarwal, and his wife Kamala Thursday to offer condolences after they were killed in a fire at a hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar Wednesday.The three deaths have left family members, friends and residents in shock.According to family members, Ashok Pansari (60), a businessman from Kishangarh, had travelled to Delhi along with his cousin Javeri Lal Agarwal (70) and Kamala Agarwal (68) to visit a relative, Radhe Shyam Agarwal, and were staying at a hotel in Delhi.“On Tuesday night, Ashok called to inform me that they had reached Delhi and checked into the hotel,” said Bhagwati Gupta, a family friend.In Ajmer, the Agarwals’ residence in Gulabbari remained locked Thursday. Family members said their son, who lives in the United States, had been informed and was expected to arrive for the funeral. Their daughter lives in Jaipur.Relatives from Jaipur, Pali, Beawar and other places gathered at the family’s Kishangarh residence during the day.Pansari was known in local business circles for his involvement in community initiatives. “Ashok Pansari is basically from a business family, and they are involved in various businesses not only in Kishangarh but in Jaipur and Ajmer and have a good chain of relations,” Ashok Singhal, a businessman in Kishangarh, said.Javeri Lal Agarwal, a retired bank manager, was associated with several social and community organisations. Neighbours described the couple as active participants in community activities.
