Kamala Mills fire: Two pub managers sent to police custody

Mumbai: The N.M. Joshi Marg police arrested two managers of the rooftop pub 1Above late on Sunday night and produced them before a magistrate court in Bhoiwada on Monday that remanded the duo to police custody till January 9. Kevin Bawa (34) and Lisbon Lopez (34) were arrested from their respective residences on Sunday at 10 pm.

Fourteen persons died in the deadly fire that broke out inside pubs 1Above and Mojo’s Bistro at Kamala Mills in Lower Parel on December 29. The police on Saturday issued a Lookout Notice against the three owners of 1Above — Ritesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Mankar, who went absconding after the fire. Ahmad Pathan, senior police inspector of N.M. Joshi Marg police station said, “We have arrested both the managers. They were present in the pub when the blaze occurred on December 29 but fled without helping the guests.” Bawa and Lopez have been booked under section 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) of the IPC. The police produced Lopez and Bawa before the magistrate seeking their custody. Public prosecutor Sanjay Wadhavane had requested the court to grant 14 days police custody. “Both accused have been arrested for a very serious offence under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of IPC. Fourteen people lost their lives and 31 others got injured. The duo had knowledge that no measures were taken for the safety and security of the customers,” Mr Wadhavane said.

Advocate Vijay Thakur on behalf of accused argued that Bawa and Lopez did not have any intention to cause death. “They should be made witness and not accused in the case,” Mr Thakur said. He added that the fire started in Mojo’s Bistro and since it did not have a fire exit people came to 1Above. Lopez and Bawa told magistrate Karade that they were “innocent and did try their best to save people”. The court remanded Lopez and Bawa to police custody till January 9.