Gomti Nagar arson case: ‘Café owner violated rental agreement, building meant for residential purpose only’

Goel informed LDA that the rental agreement with Rahul Sharma, the owner of the café, stood terminated due to violation of the agreement clauses.

Hotel Milano and Café, whose owner and staffers allegedly torched an Army Major’s car in the wee hours of Monday, was reportedly being illegally operated from a rented residential building in Gomti Nagar’s Vivek Khand area of the city.

The cafe owner, meanwhile, was still at large even five days after the incident. A police team was sent to Delhi to find Sharma as his last location was traced there, said a senior police official. (HT File)

The owner of the building, Puneet Goel, is a Mumbai-based structural engineer, who on Thursday reported to Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) that the tenant had violated the rental agreement by using the complex for commercial purposes. In the documents submitted to LDA, he noted that his was a purely residential building, the design of which was approved by the authorities concerned.

Goel informed LDA that the rental agreement with Rahul Sharma, the owner of the café, stood terminated due to violation of the agreement clauses.

On Friday, Goel told mediapersons that Sharma, who introduced himself as a businessman, had taken the building on rent last May. He added he was completely unaware of the hotel and cafe being operated from the residential premises.

The cafe owner, meanwhile, was still out of bounds of the police even five days after the incident. A police team was sent to Delhi to find Sharma as his last location was traced there, said a senior police official.

It was learnt that the cafe was hosting a birthday party on its terrace on the night of the incident. Seven-eight staffers of the establishment allegedly misbehaved and even threatened Major Abhijeet Singh with dire consequences after the latter complained of loud music being played till late in the night. Around Monday 3 am, irate hotel and cafe staffers allegedly set the Major’s car, which was parked outside his house, on fire.

Five persons were arrested on Monday based on video footage from the Major’s residence. They were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 427 (mischief), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance), 504 (insult intended to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation). LDA authorities sealed the cafe building a day later.