Mumbai fire mishap: SC rejects restaurant owner's bail plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a bail plea by Yug Tuli, owner of Mojo's Bistro restaurant at Mumbai's Kamala Mills where a fire mishap in December killed 14 people and left 31 injured.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Mohan M Shantanagoudar rejected the plea by 28-year-old Tuli to enlarge him on bail on the ground that the investigation in the case was over.

The court, however, allowed him to renew his request after three months before a Mumbai court.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tuli, contended that the restaurant manager and supplier of 'hookah' which was alleged to have caused ember to spread have already been granted bail.

He also said the death in the case resulted due to asphyxia as bouncers led people to lock themselves up in a toilet. He claimed nobody died due to burns.

The counsel for the Maharashtra government, Nishant R Katneshwarkar, however, opposed the plea, saying that though the charge sheet has been filed in the matter, the trial is yet to begin and the accused-petitioner may tamper with evidence and influence the witnesses.

The prosecution claimed there were a lot of illegal constructions in the establishment and there was no emergency exit. Besides, hookah was being provided without permission.

The petitioner has challenged the Bombay High Court's order, which found that the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was rightly applied in the case.