Kolkata: Absconding chief executive officer of fire-ravaged Bagree Market Krishna Kumar Kothari has moved the Calcutta high court appealing for his anticipatory bail. His lawyer Soumya Ghosh filed the petition before the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Joy Sengupta on Friday.
He argued why Mr Kothari was booked in the case while he has been merely an employee of the firm: Bagree Estate Pvt Ltd. Public prosecutor Gopal Mukherjee said that the information about Mr Kothari’s move came to light during the day itself. Mr Kothari’s prayer will come up for hearing o n October 30.
He stands accused alongwith two company directors: Radha Bagree and Varun Raj Bagree in the FIR lodged by the fire brigade and police on September 18 after the devasating fire broke out at the old market building complex in Burrabazar in the wee hours of September 16.
They face charges under sections 436 (causing michief by fire) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and 11C, 11J and 11L of the West Bengal Fire Services Act. After the blaze, the police moved the Bankshall Court for issuance of arrest warrants against the three accused as they went into hiding.
The appeal was granted by the judge. Earlier this month a look-out notice was issued against them also.
