Three more FIRs filed on municipal body’s complaint

Mumbai: Acting on the complaint of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), three fresh FIRs are being registered by the NM Joshi police station as part of its probe into the death of 14 persons who died in an early Friday fire that gutted two pubs — 1 Above and Mojo’s Bistro — at Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel. The first FIR is against the Kamala Mills’ owner Ramesh Govani. The second one is against Mojo’s Bistro’s co-owners Duke Tulli and Yug Pathak, who is the son of former IPS officer K.K. Pathak. The third FIR is against a food joint (P-22) located at Raghuvanshi Mill compound.

The cases are being registered for alleged illegal extensions on their premises under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act.

The police had on Friday registered a case against the three co-owners of 1 Above. In all, the police has filed four FIRs so far. The fresh FIRs were made in the wake of the illegal extensions made outside the pubs in Kamala Mills Compound. The owner of the Kamala Mills, Ramesh Govani is also mentioned in the FIR as he let all these illegal extensions take place in the premises of the land registered in his name.

Virendra Mishra, deputy commissioner of police zone 3 said, “Since the pubs are located in the Kamala Mills compound where the alleged illegal extension was constructed, its owners have been named in the FIR.”

The BMC carried out a demolition drive against illegal structures in Kamala Mills area. S. Jayakumar, additional commissioner of police (central region) said, “We have received complaint from the BMC officials after they found violation of the MRTP Act. We are registering three separate cases and the directors of these establishments will be named in these cases.”

Police sources said that they are awaiting the reports of the enquiry carried out by the BMC, according to which legal action will be taken against those found to be at fault.