Kamala Mills Fire: Bombay High Court Directs BMC to File Status Report on Safety Recommendations Within Weeks

Mumbai, November 22: Acting on a public interest litigation filed by former Mumbai police commissioner Julio Rebeiro, the Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to file a status report within two weeks regarding fire safety measures recommended by a court-appointed committee after the December 2017 fire in Kamala Mills fire incident. A division bench of chief justice Naresh Patil and justice MS Karnik also directed the civic body to consider making an online portal giving detailed information about restaurants to people. Mumbai: Buildings at Marine Drive Not to Rise Beyond 24 Metres; BMC To Wait For SC's Order.

According to a report published in Hindustan Times, The bench asked the BMC to provide the status of their compliance with various rules and regulations, including those related to fire safety on the portal. The former police commissioner of the city had approached the court seeking a comprehensive fire-safety audit of every eatery in Mumbai. In his petition, Ribeiro also sought that a judicial commission should be set up to look into the illegalities at Kamala Mills compound.

A three-member committee appointed by the court on Ribeiro's petition to investigate the fire in its report revealed that several safety violations were made by a co-owner of the premises and owners of the two restaurants and recommended action against them. The committee headed by justice Arvind Savant, former chief justice of the Kerala high court in its report stated that the owners of the two restaurants violated several safety measures while converting the entire open terrace into two full-fledged restaurants. The fire claimed the lives of 14 people.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 22, 2018 11:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).