Kamala Mills Fire: One fire officer suspended for granting NOC, 140 likely to resign

140 officers from Mumbai Fire Brigade are meeting the chief fire officer PS Rahangdale today at 4pm after the row over action taken against fire officers after the Kamala mills fire incidence. They are also likely to submit their resignations.

A fire officer who is a member of Fire Brigade officer’ association said, "We grant NOCs on conditions and if the owners are following fire norms is work of the ward office. It's not correct to put all blame on non-compliance on fire officers. We are fire fighters our job is on the field and not clerical.”

For granting NOC to 1Above and Mojo's Bistro one fire officer is suspended, and another officer Rajendra Patio has been arrested in the case.

Ravi Bhandari, the director of Kamala Mills, a hookah parlour owner and a fire brigade official were arrested on Saturday in connection with the Kamala Mills Compound fire for promoting illegalities. The trio was arrested by the NM Joshi police on Saturday and will be produced in the court on Sunday.

According to police, it was Bhandari's responsibility to obtain permissions and permits related to fire safety. Utkarsh Pandey, who supplied hookahs to 1 Above and Mojo's Bistro, was arrested as Mumbai Fire Brigade's report said the fire was sparked by hookah embers. Fire officer RB Patil was arrested for issuing No Objection Certificates while knowing the illegalities in the construction.

"The fire brigade official gave an NOC despite knowing the illegal developments and fire safety hazards involved," said a police officer. "Bhandari made clear violations by not acquiring several permissions from government agencies before letting out the properties to 1 Above and Mojo's Bistro."

S. Jaykumar, Additional Commissioner of Police, South Region, said, "The accused have been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder among other sections of the Indian Penal Code."

Three people, who were arrested on Saturday in connection with Kamala Mills fire tragedy, were produced before a Mumbai court on Sunday.

The arrested people were identified as Ravi Surajmal Bhandari, partner of Kamala mill, Rajendra Baban Patil, fire officer and Uttkarsh Vinod Pande, supplier and contractor.

The lawyer of one of the accused, Uttkarsh Vinod Pande, said that his client was innocent and allegation levelled against him a wrong.

‘They are making a false allegation on my client Uttkarsh Pandey. He was not present at the time of the incident, so he is not responsible for this. He was not even present near the vicinity of the incident spot,’ advocate Sayaji Nangre said.

Around 14 people were killed and 12 suffered critical injuries in the massive fire that broke out at the Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel locality in Mumbai in the wee hours of December 29.

The Mumbai Police had earlier arrested two owners of Mojo's Bistro, the restaurant from where the fire triggered and also the son of former Pune police commissioner K K Pathak.

Earlier, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in its reports, had confirmed that the fire started from Mojo's Bistro and spread rapidly to '1 Above' restaurant.

With inputs from agencies