Fire department closes down nine pubs in east Bengaluru

The fire and emergency services department filed police complaints against owners of pubs and bars in Indiranagar and Jeevanbima Nagar for ignoring notices to fix safety issues on their premises.

It also closed down nine out of 12 pubs and bars in East Bengaluru, having given sufficient time to remedy safety issues it wanted fixed after a horrific accident on a Mumbai rooftop pub claimed 14 lives in 2017.

ADGP (fire and emergency services) Sunil Agarwal has written to Bescom, asking it to cut the power supply to the pubs and arrest the owners if they continue to operate the joints. The pubs facing action include Tipsy Bull, Pecos, The Humming Tree, Escape Hotels, New Leaf Restaurant, BFlat and The Fatty Bao.

Agarwal said the department issued four to five notices to them with instructions on steps to ensure the safety of customers in case of fire accidents. Despite the department giving more than a year’s time to implement safety precautions, the establishments did not act on the notification.

It filed a police complaint against the building owner, and pub, bar and restaurant owners, besides those who had taken licences and were running the joints.