Kamala Mills fire: CM should not support BMC chief, says Cong

Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil today asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis "not to support" BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta over the Kamala Mills fire incident.
Mehta is probing the December 29 tragedy in which 14 people dining at two resto pubs in the Kamala Mills compound in Central Mumbai died due to blaze.
Illegal extensions and alterations allegedly made by the owners of upsacale 1Above and Mojo's Bistro pubs is suspected to be the cause behind the incident.
"I would like to tell the chief minister that he should not support the BMC commissioner who was aware of all the irregularities in granting permissions to bars and restaurants in the Kamala Mills compound and other parts of the city. This would boomerang on the CM," the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly told reporters.

The Congress leader alleged that Mehta took many decisions without the knowledge of the BMC general body.
"Things like with whose consultation in Urban Development Department (headed by the CM) did the commissioner take decisions would come out in court when a PIL will be filed next week in the Kamala Mills case," Vikhe Patil said.

He reiterated the Congress' demand for a CBI probe into the fire tragedy and suspension of Mehta.
"Mehta ordered the demolition of illegal structures in the aftermath of the Kamala Mills incident. This means that he was aware about these wrongdoings and ignored them for long," Vikhe Patil alleged.

He demanded that Kamala Mills owner Ramesh Gowani, his partner Ravi Bhandari and fire officer Rajendra Patil--who all have been arrested-- be subjected to narco test "to expose the people who helped them obtain permissions in the violation of rules".