NO emergency exit, NO fire alarm, states FIR  

Mysuru: A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by Kuvempunagar Police against the owner of a restobar in Dattagalli that caught fire on Monday, claiming the lives of two cooks and injuring six others. 

The building owner and others have also been named in the FIR. The case has been registered under Section 106(1) (causing death by negligence) and Section 125(a) and (b) (acts endangering human life or personal safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, read with Section 3(5), which deals with joint criminal liability when an offence is committed by multiple persons acting with a common intention. 

The incident occurred at Maara Restobar, a rooftop restaurant spread across the first and second floors of the building, with a liquor outlet functioning on the ground floor. 

Preetham Puneeth, actor and owner of the restobar, has been booked as Accused No. 1, building owner Keshavmurthy as Accused No. 2 and others as Accused No. 3. 

Preetham, who was also injured in the incident, is undergoing treatment at a city hospital. 

Based on a complaint lodged by Chennaram, a Bengaluru resident who was injured in the fire along with his friend Sona, Kuvempunagar Police registered the case yesterday. The FIR cites alleged lapses in safety measures and precautions that are suspected to have contributed to the mishap. 

Harrowing moments recounted 

Chennaram, who is undergoing treatment at a city hospital along with his friend, recounted the harrowing moments before the Police investigators. 

“I, along with my friend Sona, decided to go out for lunch and went to Maara Restobar on the second floor of the building at around 2.50 pm. We noticed that the ceiling was covered with hay, gunny bags and plastic materials. There were about 10 to 15 customers and around 10 staff members present at the time,” he stated. 

About five minutes after placing their order, a short circuit was noticed in a switchboard located near one of the tables. Within moments, sparks ignited the combustible materials on the ceiling and the fire rapidly spread across the premises. 

Initially, the restaurant staff attempted to extinguish the flames, but were unsuccessful. Customers began fleeing in panic, with some escaping through the staircase. While Chennaram, Sona and several others managed to get out, two staff members were unable to escape the blaze. 

Rescue with a ladder 

“I suffered burn injuries to my right shoulder and hand, while my friend sustained burns on her right hand. Personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services Department rescued us using a ladder and shifted us to a nearby hospital by ambulance,” Chennaram told the Police. 

He said, two other injured persons were being treated at the same hospital. One of them, who identified himself as Mahadev Prasad, Manager of the restobar, informed him that two staff members, Saahin and Prakash, had died in the incident. 

In his complaint, Chennaram also alleged that the restaurant lacked basic fire safety measures, including an emergency exit, fire extinguishers and a fire alarm system. 

He alleged that negligence on the part of the restaurant management and others led to the deaths of two persons and injuries to six others, and sought legal action against those responsible.