Kamala Mills fire: Son of ex-cop, owner of Mojo’s Bistro arrested

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The Mumbai police on Saturday arrested Yug Pathak, the son of a retired IPS officer and one of the owners of the Mojo’s Bistro pub, in connection with the deadly fire at the Kamala Mills compound in Mumbai on 29 December, which had claimed 14 lives.

Officials from the N M Joshi Marg police station arrested Pathak, the son of retired director general of police and former Pune police commissioner K K Pathak, the police said.

On Friday, the Mumbai Fire Brigade, in its preliminary probe report on the fire, which had engulfed Mojo’s Bistro and the adjacent “1 Above” pub at the Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel on 29 December, had said the fire possibly started at Mojo’s Bistro due to the flying embers from a hookah.

The police on Saturday booked Pathak and his partner, Nagpur-based businessman Yug Tulli, under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life and personal safety of others) and other relevant provisions.

The police had recorded Pathak’s statement in the case earlier.

The names of Pathak and Tulli were added to the FIR, which was lodged on 29 December against the owners of “1 Above” — Kripesh Sanghavi, Jigar Sanghavi and Abhijeet Mankar — said a police official.

“As of now, we have arrested Pathak, while his partner Tulli has been summoned as he is also wanted in the case,” senior police inspector, attached to the N M Joshi Marg police station, Ahmed Pathan said.

“We will produce Pathak before a court soon,” he added.

Earlier, Mumbai Police arrested two managers of the ‘1 Above’ pub, where a fire claimed 14 lives last week, an official said on Monday .

Managers Gibson Lopez (34) and Kevin Bawa (35) were arrested by a team of sleuths from the N M Joshi Marg police station, he said.

Both Lopez and Bawa were working as the managers of the pub, located at the Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel area.

They were present in the pub when the blaze occurred in the early hours of December 29, but fled without helping the guests, the official said.

“We have arrested both the managers,” said senior police inspector Ahmad Pathan.

They have been booked under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), the police said.

Both the accused will be produced in a court later in the day, the police said.The massive fire that swept through the pub left 14 people dead and 21 injured.

Arrest so far:

Police had booked the pub owners, Hitesh Sanghvi and Jigar Sanghvi, co-owner Abhijeet Manka and others under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).

Lookout notices were issued against the Sanghvi brothers on Saturday.

Owner’s uncle Rakesh Sanghvi and cousin Aditya Sanghvi were arrested on Sunday, senior police inspector, Byculla, Avinash Shingthe said. A search is underway for their another relative, Mahendra Sanghvi, he said.

The three relatives, all residents of the Mazgaon area in Byculla, were booked under IPC section 216 (harbouring an offender who has escaped from custody or whose apprehension has been ordered), another police official said.

BMC actions:

Earlier, The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) suspended five of its officials in connection with the fire accident at a restaurant in Central Mumbai’s Kamala Mills complex, that claimed 14 lives. The BMC also carried out demolition drive around Mumbai city against errant pub-restaurantowners.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had promised action against errant civic officials and the owners of a pub in central Mumbai where a massive fire claimed 14 lives.

(With agency inputs)