Six people injured in a bombing at a Mississauga restaurant in May are suing the establishment, claiming the restaurant should have taken better precautions to prevent harm to its customers.
Peel Regional Police allege two suspects, one of whom may be female, planted an improvised bomb containing nails in the Bombay Bhel restaurant on May 24 at 5035 Hurontario St. The blast injured 15 out of the approximately 40 people in the restaurant at the time. All have since been released from hospital.
Police have not announced a motive for the attack and no arrests have been made.
“Clearly it was an intentional act,” Peel Regional Police Sergeant Matt Bertram said. “But the motive for that’s still under investigation.”
The statement of claim was filed Monday to the Ontario Superior Court.
The suit names Sonia Sheth, Porshia Mehta, Neelamjit Luthra, Surjit Luthra, Parmeshvar Luthra and Arjun Luthra as plaintiffs.
The six are friends from two different families who were out for dinner the night of the bombing, lawyer Darryl Singer said.
The lawsuit claims “rival business associates” were targeting the restaurant as part of a “turf war."
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Mr. Singer told reporters Tuesday that the restaurant “knew or ought to have known that there was an issue with security.”
“If they knew there was a threat, they knew there was a problem … then they needed to either shut down or do some sort of extra proactive steps,” said lawyer Sandra Zisckind.
Sgt. Bertram said police received no reports of any threats to the restaurant or its owners before the bombing and they had no indication there was any sort of turf war involved.
Calls to Bombay Bhel owner Manmohan Singh Nagpal and the director of the numbered company named in the lawsuit went unanswered.
The plaintiffs declined to speak at the news conference. Instead, lawyer Jeremy Diamond read out a statement on their behalf.
“Going out for dinner is often a time for human connection with friends and family,” the statement reads. “That’s why it is unfathomable what happened to us on May 24. It is our belief that this tragic incident could have been prevented.”
The families said they believed they were “carnage in a turf war between individuals we did not even know. We commence this lawsuit in an effort to demand more answers about what happened on that day.”
The plaintiffs claim various physical and mental injuries as a result of the bombing, including bruising, contusions, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. They are suing for $1-million each.