Kamala Mills fire: BMC probe nails nine officials

MUMBAI: Almost a year after the massive blaze at Lower Parel’s Kamala Mill compound claimed 14 lives, the final civic inquiry report into the incident has held nine officials guilty of all the charges framed against them. The quantum of punishment will be decided by the municipal commissioner. Sources privy to the probe said most of the officials had, under the guise of the ‘ease of doing business’ policy, issued permissions but had done no crosschecks on visiting the site.





The departmental inquiry report was submitted to BMC chief Ajoy Mehta on November 20. The report on three more civic officials, however, is still awaited and is likely to be submitted in the next 10 days. Fourteen people died when the fire engulfed two adjoining rooftop pubs-—Mojo’s Bistro and 1Above—on December 29, 2017.

Following the blaze, suspension orders were served to five officials (see graphic) for dereliction of duty. Later, a report was submitted to CM Devendra Fadnavis by Mehta naming seven other officers, who were served chargesheets. Mehta pointed to the need for a full-fledged departmental inquiry against all the officials who were named in the report in January.

Now, the probe department has submitted its report on nine officers: assistant engineer Madhukar Shelar, sub-engineer Dinesh Mahale, junior engineer Dhanraj Shinde, assistant divisional fire officer SS Shinde, deputy executive health officer Dr Rajesh Madan, fire station officer Rajendra Patil, assistant engineer Manohar Kulkarni, assistant divisional fire officer Sandeep Shinde and sanitary inspector Pradeep Shirke. Among the three officers against whom the inquiry report is yet to come in are two ward officers and one medical officer (health).

A civic official said, “Punishment would be decided based on their involvement in the matter as stated in the probe report. However, this will be done only after the report on the three other officers is submitted. Show cause notices were served to all the officials found guilty and they were given hearings as well. Cross-examinations were also conducted of the officers along with the heads of their departments. Most of the officers have been found guilty of dereliction of duty.”

Apart from this, another independent inquiry is being conducted by the BMC in which the state IT department and BMC officials are looking at the entire Kamala Mill premises for any kind of violations, additions and alterations