The Mumbai Police, on Thursday night, registered an FIR against Wizcraft, the organiser of the Make in India event, 'Maharashtra Night', over the fire incident at Girgaum Chowpatty on February 14
The Mumbai Police, on Thursday night, registered an FIR against Wizcraft, the organiser of the Make in India event, ‘Maharashtra Night’, over the fire incident at Girgaum Chowpatty on February 14.
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A senior police official, confirming the development to mid-day, said an FIR under sections 285 (Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) has been registered by the DB Marg police station against the organiser of the event, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
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A massive fire broke out at the Make In India event at Girgaum Chowpatty on February 14. Pic/Bipin Kokate
The officer further added that the police's case is based on the probe report submitted by the Mumbai Fire Brigade department.
On Wednesday, the fire department, in their report to police, stated that a Defective Electric Circuit (DEC) was the likely cause of the fire. There is high possibility that sparks from the electrical wirings came in contact with combustible materials underneath the stage.
Read Story: Make In India fire: Report says safety norms flouted by organisers
The probe concluded that the fire was aggravated by negligence of the organiser’s event management company in the form of storing highly combustible material (paints, adhesive, etc.) below the stage.
Fire department investigators blamed the organisers for the fire, stating ‘willful negligence’ or ‘willful flouting of the fire safety instructions in spite of having knowledge of the same'.
After the fire brigade recorded statements of 12 witnesses, including fire officers, organisers and painters, the police too recorded statements of several people associated with organising the event.
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Earlier, the Mumbai fire brigade’s report on the Girgaum Chowpatty fire made no mention of any fire audit conducted before the event. The only mention is of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) of fire safety measures filed on February 11. On February 13, a second inspection was undertaken jointly by the divisional fire officer, a representative from the organiser, Wizcraft, and officials from the BMC D-ward, disaster management department, local police and the Confederation of Indian Industry. Following this, six lapses were pointed out in writing to the commissioner of police and also to the organiser.
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