Kamala Mills case: Three accused sent to police custody till January 25

They have been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, among other charges

A holiday court on Sunday sent a fire officer, director of Kamala Mills compound and a hookah supplier to police custody till January 25. The three men arrested on Saturday night are Utkarsh Vinod Pande, 28, a hookah supplier; Ravi Bhandari, 57, director of Kamala Mills; and Rajendra B Patil, 52, fire officer.

Fire officer Rajendra B Patil, 52, was produced in the court on Sunday. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

They have been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, among other charges. The police sought custody to investigate alleged lapses and negligence.

S Naikwadi, inspector of NM Joshi Marg police station told the court that the custody was required to investigate the role of other suspects.

The officer said the fire officer, Patil, submitted a wrong report, saying that the terrace on which 1Above and Mojo’s Bistor stood was not open.

Hookah supplier Pande’s counsel Sayaji Nangre argued that his client was not resposible for the fire as he was not present during the fire.

Bhandari told the court that he was not feeling well after which the magistrate asked him to sit. Patil’s lawyer contested the custody, saying the case is based on documentary evidence.