Panel for action against owners

Mumbai, Sept. 12: The Bombay high courtappointed judicial committee inquiring into the fire at Kamala Mills Compound here last year has recommended action against a coowner of the premises and owners of the two restaurants, blaming them for the incident.

The fire at two rooftop restaurants — Mojo’s Bistro and ‘ 1 Above’ — at Kamala Mills Compound in central Mumbai on December 29, 2017 claimed 14 lives.

The three- member committee submitted its report to the high court on Monday. It was made available Wednesday evening.

The committee recommended “appropriate punitive action” against co- owner of Kamala Mills Compound Ramesh Gowani and owners of the two restaurants.

Gowani, who holds 95 per cent stake in the Kamala Mills property, permitted the restaurant owners to make unauthorised additions to the structures, it said.

“The owners of both the restaurants committed flagrant violations in converting the entire open terrace into two full- fledged restaurants divided by a partition of highly combustible material and covered by equally inflammable material, such as cotton curtains, plastic covers, etc. “To make the situation... Fatal for the patrons who died due to asphyxia... There was no trained staff or security personnel to guide them in case of emergency,” it said. One of the waiters of 1 Above directed 13 patrons to illegally constructed toilet block which had no exit or ventilation, and as a result all 13 and the waiter himself died of suffocation, the report noted.