Kamala Mills fire: Prosecution opposes owners’ bail, ‘may flee like Nirav and Mallya’

The Kamala Mills compound. (File)

THE PROSECUTION in the Kamala Mills fire case has opposed the bail application filed by owners of the compound, citing that they might flee the country like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya. Special Public Prosecutor Prakash Shetty submitted to the court that the accused were “highly-placed” and could flee the country and not remain present for the trial if given bail. “There is the apprehension of them fleeing the country. We have examples of highly-placed accused like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya. In this case, they may not remain present for the trial,” Shetty told the court. He added that the accused could tamper with the evidence and witnesses if given bail.

Fifteen persons, including three civic officials, have been arrested so far in connection with the fire that allegedly began at resto-pub Mojo’s Bistro and spread to adjacent 1Above restaurant on December 29. As many as 13 customers and a staff member had died in the fire.

After chargesheet was filed against them, 13 of the accused have sought bail. Most of the accused, including owners of the Kamala Mills compound Ravi Bhandari and Ramesh Govani, have been in custody since January. Bhandari and Govani’s advocates said their clients had given the terrace of the Trade House building to the restaurants and were not responsible for the alleged fire safety violations. They also claimed that the two cannot be booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder (under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code) in terms of the evidence submitted by the police in the chargesheet.

On Tuesday, the court is set to hear arguments on the bail pleas filed by the three owners of 1Above restaurant.