Petition in Bombay HC seeks CBI probe into blaze at 1Above

Mumbai: A petition has been filed in the Bombay high court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the fire that gutted two pubs at Kamala Mill Compound, Lower Parel, on Friday, leaving 14 persons dead.

The petitioner, Garv Sud (18), studies in the United Kingdom but is currently in Mumbai on vacation. The petition seeks compensation for the people who lost their lives in the fire, and leveling of section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against the owner of the building where the pubs are located on grounds that it was his alleged negligence that caused the fire. Garv is also into the business of providing hostel accommodation to working men and students in the United Kingdom. In his petition, Garv said that he felt anguished and pained when he heard that the fire claimed 14 innocent lives.

The petition stated that the owner of the premises and operators of the pub did not take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of patrons. Neither the owner nor the operators ensured that the alternative exit area was made available to patrons. It said that the people who died and those who suffered injuries in the fire visited the premises in good faith only to die of no fault of theirs so the state government is liable to pay compensation to the kin of the dead and the injured.

The petition stated that till a decision on the same is taken, the police should seize the passport of the owner of the building where the pubs are located.

A fire that gutted two pubs at Kamala Mill Compound - 1Above and Mojo's Bistro - early Friday, killed 14 persons and injured 31 others. The owners of 1Above pub — Ritesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Mankar — have been absconding since the tragedy.