Excise DC suspended over fire in rooftop restaurant

Mysuru: Twelve days after a major fire at a rooftop restaurant claimed two precious lives, govt has placed Mysuru excise deputy commissioner (urban) Nagarajappa under suspension pending departmental inquiry.Deputy commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy confirmed to TOI that govt had suspended the excise DC, Nagarajappa.It may be recalled that a major fire at the restaurant in Dattagalli in Mysuru claimed two lives and injured seven others on June 15. Following the incident, excise commissioner R Venkatesh Kumar visited Mysuru to review the situation and suspended five officers, including deputy superintendent of excise.

The commissioner had directed excise joint commissioner to recommend suspension of excise DC Nagarajappa on charges of dereliction of duty and other lapses on his part as in charge of urban division of Mysuru.Investigation by excise authorities uncovered grave lapses on the part of urban division officers. The building where the tragedy happened was being operated without a valid licence. The licence was issued only to the ground floor and first floor to run the bar and restaurant by the local excise officials. The tragedy happened at the rooftop restaurant where liquor was being served, which was a violation.