Kamala Mills Fire: Govt suggests names for inquiry committee to HC

The Maharashtra Government on Thursday submitted suggestions of names for the inquiry committee to the Bombay High Court, in connection with the Kamala Mills fire that claimed 14 lives.

The High Court will decide out of the names suggested, and announce the names of committee members as well as the Terms of Reference (ToR), on March 19.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former police commissioner Julio Ribeiro seeking a judicial inquiry into the incident.

The Division bench of Justice Khemkar and Justice Karnik directed the State to provide all the facilities to the Committee for its operations and smooth functioning in consultation with the Municipal Corporation of greater Mumbai (MCGM).

The Division Bench also suggested that draft Terms of Reference of the Committee be finalised in consultation with the petitioner and MCGM, keeping in view the prayers of the PIL.

Lawyers Sujay Kantawala and Ashish Mehta appeared for the petitioner.

In recent developments on the case, another chargesheet was filed against '1 Above', 'Mojo's Bistro' and owners of Kamala Mills, by the Mumbai Police, on Wednesday.

A major blaze had broken out in the Kamala Mills complex on December 29 last year, killing 14 people and injuring 12 others.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade had released its investigation report into the Kamala Mills fire, which identified the usage of coal in a hookah in Mojo's Bistro as a probable cause for the fire.

In this connection, owners of Mojo's Bistro Yug Pathak and Yug Tuli have been arrested.

Three owners of 1 Above, Kripesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi, and Abhijeet Mankar have also been arrested, along with Juhu-based hotelier Vishal Karia for sheltering them.