Dreams Mall fire started at computer shop

The fire at Dreams Mall in Bhandup on March 25, which killed 11 people, started due to a short-circuit at a computer shop located at the upper ground floor of the mall, the investigation into the incident has revealed

The fire at Dreams Mall in Bhandup on March 25, which killed 11 people, started due to a short-circuit at a computer shop located at the upper ground floor of the mall, the investigation into the incident has revealed.

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Meanwhile, two persons arrested in connection with the fire were produced in the court after their five-day police custody ended on Monday, and both have been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

A team of six police personnel headed by assistant commissioner of police Priya Dhakane (Mulund division) has been conducting an investigation in the incident and have recorded statements of around 100 people including shopkeepers and others, so far.

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Prashant Kadam (zone 7) said, “We are trying to find out whether someone was working inside the shop or not when the incident occurred… The person has taken the shop on rent, his statement has been recorded and we are verifying few facts. We cannot disclose the details at this stage as investigation is on.”

Police officers said that during investigation they found that George Puthhu Seri, chief executive officer of Privilege Health Care which owns Sunrise Hospital, had in connivance with Haresh Dayalal Joshi of fire safety inspection firm Pona Corporation obtained a fire no-objection certificate (NOC) for the mall by certifying that its fire safety system was functional, whereas it was not working.

Police found water pumps and smoke detectors were not functional at the mall. Pona Corporation, a licenced agency authorised by the Mumbai civic body, claimed to have tested the fire-fighting system in the mall and submitted bogus certificate. Based on this, the fire department issued an NOC to the mall, said Dhakane.

“Both were arrested on May 5. After five days of police custody, they were produced in the court which sent them to judicial custody for 14 days. Further investigation is going on to find out who else are responsible behind the fire. There are several people affected due to Covid-19, so we have to take precautions before arresting others, but soon action will be taken against responsible persons,” said Dhakane.

Bhandup police also booked several people, including HDIL directors Rakesh Wadhawan and his son Sarang; Nikita Amitsingh Trehan and Deepak Shirke, as well as Amitsingh Trehan and Sweetie Jain who are the directors of Privilege Health Care Services Private Limited, for culpable homicide not amounting to murder soon after the fire incident.

Police have added sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 465 (forgery) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the Indian Penal Code to the case on May 5.