Kamala Mills fire: Five months after arrest, fire officer gets bail

Rajendra Patil was arrested on January 20 with the police claiming there was prima facie evidence of “dereliction in his duties”.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to fire officer Rajendra Patil, arrested in connection with the Kamala Mills fire case. Patil was arrested on January 20 with the police claiming there was prima facie evidence of “dereliction in his duties”. The police claimed that he had colluded with the other accused in giving an alleged false report, concealing an illegal shed covered with flammable asbestos sheet and tarpaulin constructed on the terrace, where the restaurants were located.

Patil’s lawyers Deepak Salvi and Sahil Salvi argued before the court that the charge under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC is not applicable against Patil, as he had no knowledge of hookah being served at the Mojo’s Bistro restaurant. Justice A S Gadkari granted bail on the condition that he has to be present in the police station once a month and in the court on the date of the hearing.

Patil was granted bail on a surety of Rs 45,000.

In the second chargesheet filed in March by the N M Joshi Marg police, they claimed to have evidence to show that Patil, the station officer at the Worli division, was on leave on the day he claimed to have conducted an on-site inspection of 1Above restaurant in Kamala Mills.

While the “inspection” was allegedly conducted on December 22, the fire took place within a week, on December 29, claiming 14 lives. The blaze allegedly started at Mojo’s Bistro, when burning coal on the hookah counter was left unattended and spread rapidly through the combustible roof to the adjacent 1Above, leading to the death of 13 patrons and a staff member.

“In the chargesheet, we have attached the diary from Patil’s office, where he had made an entry about his leave on December 22. It was found that he had claimed to have made an inspection of 1Above on the same day, when he was purportedly on leave,” said a police officer.

According to the officer, Patil had, a day after the alleged inspection, submitted a report for a fire NOC to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on December 23. In his statement given to the BMC, which conducted an inquiry into the fire, Patil said he visited the premises of 1Above on December 22 and accordingly, an NOC was forwarded to the BMC.