Kamala Mills director moves HC, seeks quashing of case

Mumbai: A director of Kamala Mills Ltd has approached the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the culpable homicide case registered against him in connection with the December 29 fire in the Kamala Mills compound that claimed 14 lives. Ravi Bhandari's petition was mentioned yesterday before a division bench of Justices B R Gavai and B P Colabawala and posted for hearing after two weeks. The bench pointed out that pendency of the petition shall have no effect on the hearing of the bail plea filed by Bhandari before a sessions court. Bhandari was arrested last month along with fire officer Rajendra Patil and one Utkarsh Pandey, who supplied hookahs to the pubs - Mojo's Bistro and 1 Above - where the fire started. All three are in judicial custody presently. In his petition before the high court, Bhandari claimed that a serious charge of culpable homicide was not applicable to him. At the most it was a case of negligence, which was bailable, he said. Fourteen persons were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out at the Mojo's Bistro and 1 above pub at Kamala Mills in central Mumbai on December 29.