Mumbai, Jan 1: The Mumbai Police on Monday arrested two managers of 1-Above pub where 14 people were killed a massive fire on Friday, December 29. Police had booked the pub owners, Hitesh Sanghvi and Jigar Sanghvi, co-owner Abhijeet Manka and others on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Earlier on Sunday, police had arrested two persons for allegedly providing shelter to the owners of ‘1-Above’ pub. Lookout notices have been issued against the Sanghvi brothers.
On Friday, the police had booked the Sanghvi brothers, Manka and others under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others). (Also Read: Kamala Mills Fire: Over 100 BMC Employees And Engineers Face Action)
Pub claims it Had All Necessary Approvals
The pub had in a statement claimed that it had all the necessary approvals and safety norms in place. It had also blamed Mojo’s Bistro on the floor below for not having an emergency exit, leading to overcrowding of the escape avenues of ‘1 Above’.
The massive fire that swept through the pub left 14 people dead and 21 injured.
The fire is suspected to have started a little after 12.30 am on Friday and spread quickly. (Image: ANI)Two separate FIRs have been registered against the owners of Mojo’s Bistro and 1 Above pubs, a senior police official had earlier said. (Kamala Mills Fire: Is Police-politics-administration Nexus Responsible For The Tragedy?)
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, Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone 3 Virendra Mishra had said.
In the wake of the fire incident, police have registered three cases against mall and pub owners in the city on charges of illegal construction, officials said.
(With PTI inputs)