The divisional fire officer attached to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has filed a police complaint against the owner of the duplex flat on 20th and 21st floor of Sea Homes Society in Sector 44, Seawoods, and the administrators for negligence.

On February 8, the flat owned by Chandrakant Bhansali, chairman of Wellwisher Group, was gutted in a fire. While trying to put out the blaze, seven firefighters, including two officers, were injured when two cylinders exploded.

“The society had not renewed the fire NOC since 2018 and the fire equipment were not functional. The firefighters had to arrange water from the adjacent building for the operation,” said divisional fire officer Purushottam Jadhav.

Mr. Jadhav also said the building already has a gas pipeline and during such situation, one cannot, as per law, have gas cylinders at home. “The owner had two gas cylinders which blasted injuring the staff.”

The NMMC had, on the day of the fire, released a statement that the last audit of the 21-storey structure was carried out in 2018, and it had not updated the building’s firefighting system after that.

According to Mr. Jadhav, every society needs to get the fire audit completed every six months, after which the fire department of the NMMC issues an NOC.

Mr. Jadhav, on February 28, lodged an FIR against Mr. Bhansali, society secretary Ajay Gupta, and other office-bearers.

Tanvir Shaikh from NRI police station said, “We have registered a case and are making enquires. No arrest has been made yet.”

The case was registered under Sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code, and sections of the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006.