A Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday granted bail to two managers of restaurant 1Above in Kamala Mills compound where a fire had broken out in December, claiming 14 lives, PTI reported. The court, however, rejected the bail applications of seven others, including three owners of 1Above, and the owner of adjacent restaurant Mojo’s Bistro, and two owners of the Trade House building where the restaurants were located.
The court said the role of the managers in the incident was subject to trial and they could be released on bail. The two accused have been asked to pay bond of Rs 25,000 each. The court said the managers should not contact any of the witnesses and tamper with any evidence, The Indian Express reported.
The prosecutor argued that the accused were aware of the violations at the restaurants and the dangers arising out of it, the newspaper reported. The court said while the owners of 1Above and Mojo’s Bistro blamed each other for the blaze, statements of the witnesses showed that the fire had spread to both the restaurants.
“Most of the prosecution witnesses unanimously stated that there was no fire safety equipment and no emergency exit, which can work in an emergency and plastic tarpaulin was used as roof and there were flammable things, which contributed to the fire accident,” the court said, according to The Indian Express.
The police have arrested 14 people so far in connection with the matter. They have also filed a 2,706-page chargesheet against 12 accused, including the owners of the two restaurants and Kamala Mills.
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