No respite to Mumbai from fire; three more incidents reported
Mumbai: Three fire incidents were reported since Monday midnight, said a senior fire brigade official, adding to a string of such cases since December 29 when an inferno killed 14 people in a pub here.
However, no casualty was reported in the latest incidents, said the official.
A fire broke out just past midnight in a shop in a chawl in Dockyard Road, Byculla, he said.
"Six fire engines and water tankers were rushed to the spot and they doused the flames in less than two hours (by 2 am)," he said, adding no one was injured.
In the second incident, the fire brigade control room received a call at 10 am about a fire in a ground plus three- storey residential apartment on Juhu Tara Road in suburban Vile Parle.
"Fire brigade personnel immediately rushed to the spot and put out the blaze within 25 minutes," the official said, adding no one was injured.
The third incident was reported in the evening from Amboli Naka in Andheri (West) where a bamboo godown went up in flames, he said.
The blaze was reported at 5.37 pm and five fire engines were rushed to the spot, he said.
"The fire at the bamboo godown has been brought under control," the official said, adding no casualty was reported.
The cause of the fire at all the three places was not yet known.
The financial capital has been hit by a string of fire incidents in the last fortnight.
The deadliest of them was on December 29 when a devastating inferno killed 14 people at an upscale pub in the Kamala Mills Compound.
On January 4, four persons, including two children, were killed and five others seriously injured after an upper floor of a residential building in suburban Marol caught fire.
A 20-year-old man, who worked for a television serial production unit, was killed in a fire at the Cine Vista film studio in suburban Kanjurmarg on January 6.
Yesterday, a fire broke out is the sessions court building in south Mumbai in which some official records were gutted.
Earlier on December 18, 12 labourers were killed in a massive blaze at a snack-making unit in Saki Naka-Kurla.
As the metropolis battles frequent blazes, the fire department urged people and commercial establishments to take preventive measures to avoid such tragedies.
"Safety measures are a must to avoid such incidents.
Apart from taking preventive steps, people should be alert and immediately inform the department about such incidents," said Deputy Chief Fire Officer Kailash Hivrale.
People should keep a watch on electrical wiring in residential buildings and commercial outlets, he said.
Meanwhile, BJP Member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya visited three film and TV studios after the fire at Cine Vista.
He said these studios, located in Kanjurmarg and Bhandup, don't have proper fire fighting systems in place.
"Today, I visited three film and TV studios and found they don't have fire safety systems in place. I told this to the municipal commissioner and demanded strong action against these studios," said the Mumbai North-East MP.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
