Petitioner allowed to seek probe against police

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed a petitioner, who had orally sought action against the police for their alleged failures in the December 29, 2017, Kamala Mills fire incident that took 14 lives, to include his plea in the petition.

A division bench of Justice Shantanu Kemkar and Justice Makarand Karnik, however, observed that a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe the petitioner, Pratik Thakur, who was at resto-pub 1Above when the fire broke out and sustained injuries to his right hand, requested was not necessary now as a judicial commission headed by a retired high court judge had already been instituted.

Mr Thakur submitted before the court that he along with his family was at 1 Above resto-pub on that fateful day.

He alleged that he and his family members suffered burn injuries due to the lack of emergency space in the hotel. He sought compensation from the pub and also wanted a CBI probe of the entire incident.

Mr Thakur alleged that along with officials of the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the state government, police personnel were also complicit in the irregularities of 1 Above and nearby Mojo’s bistro.

He sought action against police personnel and did not take the Mumbai police probe at face value.

The court posted the matter after four weeks for further hearing.

BMC informed the court last week that office space, car, and other infrastructure would be provided to the three members of the committee constituted by the high court The
committee will begin working from June 1 and was expected to complete the task before August 31.