Mumbai : A day after a massive blaze engulfed a Kurla eatery, burning eight people to death, the police seemed clueless about the restaurant owner’s whereabouts. A gas cylinder leak in Hotel City Kinara caused a huge fire, killing eight patrons who were dining on the first floor of the restaurant. The owner identified as Satish Tripathi had taken over the restaurant over ten years ago. The two-storey structure served Chinese food and sandwiches and was a popular hangout for the nearby offices and college students.
“The owner is recuperating in the hospital and will be arrested once he is discharged,” said a senior official of the Central region. The VB Nagar police station have filed an FIR against him and under Section 304 (culpable homicide amounting to murder) and negligence. While the officer was unaware of which hospital the owner was admitted in, locals alleged that the owner was on the run since Friday afternoon.
“He was admitted to a hospital initially due to a head injury. But since then he has been discharged and there are no signs of him. He has not even come to visit his restaurant,” said a local resident of the area. Senior Police Inspector of VB Nagar Police station, Pravin More informed that Tripathi has been absconding since Friday. “We are looking for him since the time of the incident. The search is going on and once we find him, we will arrest him.”
Tripathi along with four of the restaurant waiters were present in the restaurant when the accident occurred. All of them sustained minor injuries and were rushed to the hospital. The deceased included seven students of the nearby Don Bosco Institute of Technology. The restaurant had illegally constructed a first floor and also had built a stairway to the same. “There was loose wiring and no proper safety regulations were followed while handling the gas cylinders,” said a fire officer who visited the spot on Friday.
