A former restaurateur unsuccessfully appealed a fine for breaching fire regulations, and must now pay a £10,800 fine as well as other costs, it has been reported.
Darshan Grewal used to own the 300-seater Karahi Palace restaurant and banqueting suite in Hounslow, London, with his business partner Sirjit Dhaliwal, and at the initial hearing at Feltham Magistrates’ Court on 1 July 2013 they admitted they had not complied with fire regulations. Upon visiting the premises in March 2010 fire safety inspectors found furniture blocking a fire exit, the floor covered in oil and flammable materials stored near a stairwell.
Upon deciding to appeal after the initial verdict, Mr Grewal was ordered to pay £1,020 cost just to stage an appeal. Originally his partner Mr Dhaliwal also intended to appeal, but he withdrew this on the day of the hearing. Following the subsequent appeal hearing, Isleworth Crown Court ruled that the £10,800 fine was just.
Mr Grewal is now faced with paying that fine in addition to £3,000 costs from the original case and the £1,020 cost for the appeal. Mr Dhaliwal faces a reduced fine of £9,750 because he paid for the problems to be rectified, however, he also faces costs of £3,000.
Steve Turk, London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation said the safety of a very large number of people had been compromised by the “series of very serious repeated offences”.
Copyright Press Association 2013