Vikhe-Patil demands CBI probe

Mumbai: Opposition leader, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Friday demanded CBI inquiry into the Kamala Mill fire tragedy of December 29 last year, in which 14 lives were lost, else he would file an PIL in the Court alleging corruption by the BMC. He even demanded that BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta who overruled the standing committee report denying permission to the controversial pub at the Kamala Mill should be booked under culpable homicide.  Mr Vikhe called Bhima Koregaon attack, as the state sponsored riots.

“A CBI inquiry should be conducted into the Kamala Mill fire about how the pub and restaurant got permissions when the standing committee had objected the permission. The commissioner overruled the standing committee and approved the permissions so he should be booked under culpable homicide. If the government does not take any action then I will go to the court and file PIL,” Vikhe-Patil told reporters.

The Congress leader even asked the government to reveal the politicians pressurising Ajoy Mehta not to take action in the case. The remarks from him came after Mr Mehta openly said about political pressure.

 “Call records of the ministers should be checked. The commissioner allegedly pressured on him not to take action. The government should open up about who is pressurising him,” Mr Vikhe-Patil said.  

Lashing at the government for poorly handling the civic issues, Mr Vikhe-Patil recalled other fire incidences that took places in last couple of months. “What did the BMC do in a fire at Farsan shop that killed 12 labourers? In another fire case at Cine Vista, a victim’s body was found after his father complained that he was missing. The government’s apathy is hard to take in such sensitive cases,” he added.

Mr Vikhe even charged BJP and Shiv Sena politicians involved in the Kamala Mill fire tragedy.