Juhu police arrests 3 in Prarthana fire

Mumbai: The Juhu police arrested three persons in connection with Prarthana building fire in which seven were killed.

The accused have been identified as Tinubhai Mannabhai Patel alias Kiran, the building contractor, Shiju Kunjpe John (34), site engineer and Prashant Dagdoji More (38), site supervisor.

The trio was arrested for failing to take adequate security measures that led to the incident in which seven persons were killed. The accused were produced before the metropolitan court in Andheri and were remanded to judicial custody.

A case under sections 304(a) (causing death due to negligence), 338 (causing hurt and grievous hurt), 285 (negligent conduct), 34 (acts of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been filed.  

The fire department had lodged an FIR with the Juhu police station against the developer and contractor of Prarthana building. The fire broke out in Prarthana building on Wednesday night, claimed seven lives.

While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, prima facie evidence proved that LPG gas cylinder’s explosion led to the eruption of fire.

The victims were charred to death at the ground floor of an under-construction building. The deceased persons were construction workers. The labourers used stoves for cooking for which the LPG cylinders was needed.

From the mangled remains at the spot, the police recovered four LPG cylinders and damaged stoves among other items.

Seventeen people were injured in the incident out of which 11 are receiving treatment at Cooper Hospital.