Kamala Mills owner Ramesh Govani held in connection with Mumbai pubs blaze

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In a major breakthrough, the Mumbai Police on Monday arrested the owner of Kamala Mills in connection with the December 29 fire in pubs that killed 14 persons.

A police official confirmed the development and said Mills owner Ramesh Govani was detained and placed under arrest late on Monday evening.

Govani had been evading arrest after the fire at the Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel. As many as 55 patrons were injured in the fire.

The key arrest came a day after a mill director Ravi S. Bhandari was arrested on Sunday evening.

Besides, police also nabbed on Sunday Fire Officer Rajendra Patil and an owner of Nirvana Hookah Parlour Utkarsh Pandey.

The December 29 fire broke out in The Mojo's Bistro, spread to the adjacent 1Above and other establishments on the terrace top of Kamala Trade House.

In the past few weeks, the N.M. Joshi Marg Police has nabbed the owners-partner and staffers of both the pubs who are presently in custody.

They have been, among other things, charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The fire triggered outrage all over, and resulted in filing of several PILs, including one by former supercop Julio F. Rebeiro and social activists.

Since then, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation has launched its biggest drive against unauthorised eateries, hotels and restaurants across Mumbai, with neighbouring civic bodies in Thane and Navi Mumbai following suit.