Kamala Mills fire: 2 managers of rooftop pub held for Dec 29 inferno

Mumbai: Two managers of a rooftop pub at Lower Parel in Mumbai have been arrested in connection with the fire in Kamala Mills compound that claimed 14 lives on December 29. The owners of the club are still absconding.

After talking to survivors, the police believe the fire had initiated at '1 Above' pub but the pub's managers have blamed the adjacent Mojo's Bistro. They claim they are being targeted as the owners of the adjacent pub are influential.

The '1 Above' management have already written to the President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the civic body chief alleging there was a conspiracy against them. 

According to reports, the owners of '1 Above' pub demanded that the matter is to be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and alleged, "The concerned police station is linked in destroying the evidence on site and making false reports".

Mojo's Bistro claims not a single death took place on their premises because they had followed the rules.  

A statement released on Sunday by one of the partners said a month ago, its staff had undergone training in first aid, CPR, and fire drills. This, the statement read, was why the staff "was able to locate the building fire exits and evacuate guests to safety, without any injuries or casualties".

On Friday, 14 people, including a young woman celebrating her birthday, were asphyxiated, and at least 23 others injured in a major blaze that engulfed the pub and other establishments.

Earlier, police had arrested two people for allegedly providing shelter to the owners of '1 Above' pub who were booked after the incident.

Police had booked the pub owners, Hitesh Sanghvi and Jigar Sanghvi, co-owner Abhijeet Manka and others on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Lookout notices were issued against the Sanghvi brothers on Saturday.