Dharavi fire: Four, including gas agency owner, illegal parking operator, arrested

Prima facie, we suspect the fire had started due to gas leakage from one of the cylinders,

said an officer from the Dharavi police station

The LPG gas agency owner, Ninad Kelkar, had given the work to manager Nagesh Nawale, who used to distribute gas cylinders from the same spot. Every day, they supplied around 450 cylinders in the Dharavi area. We have also made Anil Kumar Gupta, the ration shop owner whose truck was parked at the spot, an accused. Due to his vehicle, other vehicles could not be moved,

said the police officer quoted earlier

They have been booked under sections 285 (danger or obstruction in public way), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 288 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) and 324 (mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,

said the police officer

Everybody was getting hafta (protection money or bribes), so nobody acted against the illegal parking,

he said

Due to heavy vehicles double parking on the road, there are traffic jams,

she said

Illegal trucks are parked on the roads in many parts of the city, endangering the lives of local residents. The BMC's license department should be more alert and take action against such offenders to prevent any mishaps in the future."

Anil Galgali, another activist, said

A team will be sent to check on this matter."

Anil Kate, Superintendent of BMC's License department said

The BMC claims they will stop illegal parking on roads, but it's just on paper. We have not seen any action. This incident could have turned disastrous if it hadn't been controlled,

said Ashraf Khan, a local resident