The Mumbai Police will continue its hunt for the three owners of the 1Above resto-bar in Kamala Mills, where 14 persons perished in a fire last week, saying it holds them responsible.
"The accused owners of 1Above did not take several fire safety precautions, which caused the casualties," said a senior police officer privy to the investigation.
The three owners of 1Above, Kripesh Sanghavi, Jigar Sanghavi and Abhijit Manakar are absconding. On Friday, the police announced a Rs 1 lakh reward for any information about their whereabouts.
The police department's stand comes despite the Mumbai Fire Brigade's report submitted on Friday stating that the fire started at Mojo's Bistro and then spread to 1Above.
According to the fire brigade report, the fire started at Mojo's Bistro due to coal meant for hookah.
The police maintain that though the fire did not start at 1Above, all the casualties and injuries took place at 1Above and not in Mojo's Bistro. The police claim that there were a lot of loopholes in the construction of the pub which lead to the patrons getting stuck. The owners and the pub's staff themselves fled from the spot, without bothering to help the patrons.
The legal team of 1Above had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others, claiming that the fire originated at Mojo's Bistro and hence they are not responsible for the mishap. In the letter, the owners had alleged that they are being implicated and had demanded aCBI inquiry to ensure a fair investigation into the case.
"There were no fire exits, extinguishers in place and the passage for the exit in the pub was congested that caused the stampede injuring many. The bathrooms were also built illegally and there were no safety boards. Exits such as elevators, staircases, and doors were blocked due to which patrons could not go out quickly, hence the onus is on 1Above only," the police officer quoted earlier added.
"We are not ruling out booking the owners of Mojo's Bistro. We will book them when we get proper evidence against them. However, the patrons were able to get out safely and there were no casualties," he added.
What the police says
- According to the police, even though the fire did not start at 1Above, all the casualties and injuries took place at 1Above and not in Mojo’s Bistro
- Police also said that the accused owners did not take fire safety precautions
- Loopholes in the construction of the pub lead to the patrons getting stuck, police have claimed
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 "Kamala Mills Fire")
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