Ghatkopar Fire: Building mgmt, directors of Kalrashukla Classes booked for negligence
Mumbai: An FIR has been registered against managing committee members of a commercial building in Ghatkopar and the director of Kalrashukla Classes in connection with last month’s fire incident in which three persons, including an 18-year-old student, died
Mumbai: An FIR has been registered against managing committee members of a commercial building in Ghatkopar and the director of Kalrashukla Classes in connection with last month’s fire incident in which three persons, including an 18-year-old student, died. No one has been arrested yet in the case.
The fire took place at Vishwas Building, a ground-plus-six-storey commercial building in Pant Nagar in Ghatkopar East on December 17, 2022. The building houses several clinics and a coaching class and restaurants on the ground floor.
Karshi Dedhia, 45, had died on the spot and 12 others, including four policemen who helped douse the fire, had sustained burn injuries. Two others - Anjali Bivalkar, 47, and Eidish Sahetya, 18, succumbed to burn injuries while undergoing treatment at the National Burns Centre in Airoli.
“The smoke had spread in the adjacent building where Parakh Hospital is located and the hospital staff had to shift 22 patients to nearby hospitals,” said a police official.
The case was registered based on the report submitted by the fire department. The police investigation revealed that the classes had not kept fire extinguishers which could have been used to douse the fire. While the managing committee of the building did not take care of several electric cables spread and hanging on the staircase and other belongings kept in the passages due to which fire spread to the upper floors. The fire was started due to a short circuit in the metre room, said a police officer.
The managing committee and director of the classes are booked under sections 304A (causing death by the negligent act) 336 (rash or negligent act which endangers human life or the personal safety of others), 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
“We will now issue a notice under section 41 of the CrPC to the accused and record their statements and decide further course of action,” said a senior inspector Ravidatta Sawant of the Pant Nagar police station.
