Karachi, December 01, 2023 : The Judicial Magistrate East approved the physical remand of five individuals on Friday, who are accused of causing the deadly fire at RJ Shopping Mall on Rashid Minhas Road in Karachi, resulting in the loss of nearly a dozen lives.
The East Zone police presented the five primary suspects – identified as Imran Adnan (owner of the software house), Sultan and Faizan (mall administration members), and Abid Shah (security in-charge) – before the Judicial Magistrate East court.
The Investigation Officer (IO) requested a 10-day physical remand for the detained accused. After considering arguments from both sides, the court rejected the suspects’ discharge plea and granted a five-day physical remand. The court, in its order, instructed the investigating officer to provide a progress report at the upcoming hearing.
As per a preliminary report from the Fire Brigade Department, the RJ Shopping Mall in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar area lacked any form of public safety system. The report highlighted the absence of emergency exit doors, exit signs, preventive measures, and emergency lighting or power backup in the unfortunate building.
The report stated that RJ Mall lacked any form of public safety system, including fire safety equipment and emergency exits. The Fire Brigade Department did not receive timely information about the fire, and upon arrival, the third and fourth floors were already severely ablaze.
Firefighting operations were hindered by intense smoke, preventing the determination of the fire’s cause. Employees in the building were rescued by breaking doors, and all 11 deaths were attributed to smoke inhalation and suffocation.
