Seventh arrest made in wake of Mumbai pub blaze

More than a fortnight after the Kamala Mills Compound blaze which claimed the lives of 14 people, Yug Tuli, one of the co-owners of The Mojo's Bistro where the fire first erupted, surrendered to the Mumbai police on Tuesday and was formally arrested.

The Nagpur-based businessman and investor Tuli, who gave himself up at the N.M.Joshi Marg Police Station, was subsequently produced before the Bhoiwada Court which sent him to police custody till January 20.

"Since my anticipatory bail has been rejected, I am surrendering before police," Tuli said briefly before going to the police station.

Among others, Tuli has also been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the December 29 fire which started in The Mojo's Bistro, spread to 1Above and other pubs on the rooftop of Kamala Trade House early that morning.

Ealier, Yug Pathak, son of a retired DGP level IPS offier KK Pathak, who is Tuli's partner in the pub, was arrested.

Besides, the three owners - Kripesh Sanghavi, Jigar Sanghavi and Abhijit Mankar - of the 1Above pub where most of the 14 deaths took place, were arrested on January 10. They are in police custody till Wednesday.

Two managers of 1Above - Kevin Bawa and Lisbon Lopez - have also been arrested in the same case, taking the total number of arrests to seven so far.

Besides, four others were arrested but later released on bail on charges of aiding and sheltering the absconding accused owners against whom Mumbai police had announced a reward of Rs 100,000.

In a related development, the opposition Congress took a delegation to Governor C.V. Rao seeking a CBI probe into the Kamala Mills Compound conflagration and suspension of BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam and state spokesperson Sachin Sawant apprised the Governor of alleged corruption in the Shiv Sena-controlled BMC.

Vikhe-Patil said Mehta had recently admitted to getting phone calls from some politician asking him (Mehta) "to go slow" on the demolition of illegal structures in all eateries in the city, but he did not name the politician.

Nirupam spoke of huge irregularities in various erstwhile mills compounds with the blessings of civic officials which pose a danger to public safety and said the BMC chief should be booked for murder.

Vikhe-Patil also announced plans to file a writ petition against the BMC on various counts, including the December 29 fire which killed 14 and injured 55 other patrons.

--IANS

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