Court rejects Yug Tuli’s ABA application

Mumbai: A sessions court on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by Mojo's Bistro pub's co-owner Yug Tuli, who is absconding.

Tuli was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder after the massive fire in Bistro and an adjoining pub, 1Above, at Kamala mill compound killed 14 persons and injured 31 pe0ple on December 29.

Tuli's lawyer Shyam Diwani had contended that the fire had started from 1Above and then spread to Bistro but now police is trying to falsely implicate Tuli in this case.

He also argued that his client is being made scapegoat due to slur campaign on social media to prejudice people against Bistro.

Special public prosecutor Prakash Shetty had opposed the ABA relying heavily on the report submitted by Fire Department, which has cited statements of eyewitnesses who told them that the fire started from Bistro.

He had also argued that the bamboos, curtains and smoldering coal at Mojo's Bistro had been the main cause for the fire and the same was reiterated by the fire report as well as the accounts of eyewitnesses who were present at the venue on the fateful night.

So far, the police has arrested seven accused in this case including Tuli's partner Yug Pathak and three owners of adjoining pub 1 Above. Tuli is the only accused in the case that has not been arrested so far.

On December 29, 2017, the fire swept through 1 Above and Mojo's Bistro pubs at Kamala Mills compound in which 14 persons died due to smog.