Ramesh Govani was hiding in Pune: Police

Mumbai :The co-owner of the Kamala Mills Compound, Ramesh Govani, revealed during his interrogation that he had been in hiding in a farmhouse near Pune for the last 10 days, before his arrest on Monday evening. Sources revealed that Govani was on his way to the city after he learnt about his associate’s arrest on Saturday night. The police learnt Govani’s location on Monday afternoon but he had already left his farmhouse by the time they could take any action. Govani will most likely be asked to submit the lease documents of the restaurants, which had undergone unauthorised alterations.    

Police sources said that Govani had left the city three days after recording his statement with the police on January 2, and was since then staying at his farmhouse near Pune. Upon learning that his associate, Ravi Bhandari was arrested, Govani apparently went into a panic mode, and decided to come back to the city and present his version of the story, pertaining his role in the incident, said a police source. But while he was on his way from Pune, the cops arrested Govani.

Virendra Mishra, deputy commissioner of police (zone 3) said,  “While questioning Bhandari, he named Govani for allegedly clearing a few alterations in the Kamala Mills Compound premises. Soon after these allegations, Govani was arrested from Chembur Naka on Monday.”

Govani’s name was included in the FIR registered under sections pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder last week after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner submitted a report on the fire that gutted two pubs, 1Above and Mojo’s Bistro, killing 14. On December 30, Govani’s name was included in an FIR.