Kamala Mills Fire | No interim relief for Mojo's owners

The Sessions Court on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail application (ABA) of Yug Tuli, one of the owners of Mojo's Bistro, the restobar in Kamala Mills which caught fire on December 29, 2017. The orders came after the prosecution strongly opposed the grant of any interim relief or anticipatory bail to Tuli. While accused Yug Pathak, co-owner of Mojo's Bistro and son of former Pune Commissioner was remanded into police custody up to January 17.

Tuli in his application had claimed that no one among the 14 people died in his club, rather all of them were found dead in the adjoining club, 1Above. His application further questioned the investigation report which initially named 1Above as the prime root for the fire but later the onus was shifted to Mojo's. It also raised doubts over the evidence obtained from social media on which the prosecution was relying.

The police also filed its reply opposing Tuli's bail. "Air circulation generated by one of the fans installed next to the hookah resulted in sparks flying off the coal used on the hookah. This was the primary cause of the fire. Also the fire exit spaces were encroached by both the clubs and the only way to escape was from 1Above. Thus primarily this seems to be the reason for the cause of death in 1 Above," read the police's reply.

The Bhoiwada court remanded Pathak to police custody upto January 17 on grounds that the police wanted to interrogate the accused together with the absconding accused. The Public Prosecutor Sanjay Wadhawane also argued that Pathak might tamper the evidence if sent to Judicial custody and subsequently be getting the bail.