While an army of lawyers poured their blood and sweat into the legal battle, it was Advocate Godfrey Pimenta who first ignited the fight for justice. He shared his journey with mid-day.
“After hearing about the tragedy that shattered the families, we immediately decided to hold a dharna (protest) outside Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police Station in October 2015, demanding the arrest of those responsible.
We were threatened with arrest if we continued the protest. But at the time, we felt it was the most powerful way to ensure a proper investigation, so we went ahead with the plan, alongside the parents of the deceased students,” said Pimenta.
He continued, “We filed 15 to 20 applications under the RTI Act, seeking detailed information from the BMC’s License Department and Building and Factories Department, the Mumbai Fire Brigade, HPCL, and others. Armed with this data, we filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Lokayukta, demanding compensation for the victims’ families.”
The team also organised protests at the site of Hotel City Kinara and at Azad Maidan, calling for a CBI probe. In true Munnabhai MBBS style, they left flower bouquets and “Get Well Soon” placards outside the residence of the then municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta.
After the Lokayukta passed an order in February 2017 granting a meagre compensation of R1 lakh, Pimenta and his team drafted a writ petition, worked with senior counsel, and moved the Bombay High Court. Their petition sought accountability from government bodies and proper compensation for the victims’ families.
“Despite the many hurdles we faced in gathering information, we stayed the course. The journey was arduous, but with persistence and faith, we finally succeeded,” Pimenta said. The families of the victims unanimously agreed that simply thanking Pimenta would never be enough.
“If Godfrey Pimenta hadn’t stood by us with all his knowledge and strength, we wouldn’t have even begun the fight for justice. He made us understand the power of people and helped us believe in the judicial system,” said Rekha Thapar, mother of Akash Thapar, one of the victims.
Pimenta also expressed gratitude to the team of lawyers who fought the case pro bono. “We’re extremely happy with the Bombay High Court’s judgment and deeply thankful to Senior Counsel Naushad Engineer, Advocate Jayesh Mestry, and their team,” he said.
Oct 2015
Year the incident occurred
