Mumbai: Kamala Mills owner Ramesh Govani arrested

Kamla mills fire

Kamala Mills owner Ramesh Govani was arrested by the NM Joshi Marg police in connection with the fire, which claimed 14 including a 1 Above employee. After the BMC commissioner's report on the fire, the Mumbai police had added more names to the FIR and on Saturday arrested three persons who include Ravi Surajmal Bhandari, a partner in Kamala Mills, Utkarsh Vinod Pande, a hookah contractor, and Rajendra Baban Patil, a fire officer.

Also read - Kamala Mills Fire: Fire brigade officer, owner of hookah parlour jailed

Stopped at Chembur
According to sources, Govani's car was stopped near Chembur Naka by police, and he was detained and brought to the NM police station. Senior IPS officials and the home ministry were informed, and after that he was arrested. Govani had been called by the police to record his statement on January 4, as two FIRs had been registered against him under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act at the same police station, after the Kamala Mills fire.

According to the police, in the first MRTP FIR, BMC officials said that they visited the premises of Mojo's Bistro, and found unauthorised constructions. They found a shed made with tarpaulin sheets and bamboos. In the second FIR, BMC officials said they visited the premises of hotel 1Above, and found an unauthorised partition and unauthorised construction of two rooms with asbestos sheets. They also saw an unauthorised shed.

In construction for decades
Govani's family has been in the construction business for six decades. They control the nine-acre Kamala Mills property, which houses several corporate offices and restaurants. In recent years, several new constructions have taken place inside the premises, many of which have since been demolished by the BMC in the wake of the fire in December. Mojo's Bistro owner Yug Tulli was presented in the Bhoiwada Court yesterday and has been given jail custody till January 31.

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