The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant bail to restaurateur Yug Tuli in connection with the massive fire that broke out in Mumbai’s Kamala Mills compound in December, killing 14 people, reported PTI.
Tuli is the co-owner of Mojo’s Bistro restaurant. A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and MM Shantanagoudar heard Tuli’s petition challenging a Bombay High Court order denying him bail, but rejected it.
The top court, however, allowed the 28-year-old businessman to file a fresh bail petition before the trial court after three months.
The fire broke out at the 1 Above restaurant past midnight on December 29 and then spread to other eateries – Mojo’s Bistro and London Taxi Gastropub.
Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tuli, told the bench that a case of criminal negligence had not been filed against him as the fire broke out due to the “mistake” of the staff at 1 Above restaurant. “None of the customers or guests at the restaurant had died in the incident,” Rohatgi argued, adding that the manager of the restaurant and the hookah supplier have been given bail in the case.
Standing counsel Nishant Katneshwar, appearing for the Maharashtra government, opposed Tuli’s bail plea, saying that he might try to influence witnesses, and accusing the restaurateur of “gross negligence”.
The top court had earlier refused to grant interim bail to Tuli, till his regular bail application before the Bombay High Court was decided. The high court on April 27 rejected his bail plea, and said it would pass a detailed order later. Tuli, who was arrested in January, had approached the high court after his bail plea was rejected by a sessions court on April 11.
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