Crime branch sleuths on Sunday recorded the statements of key witnesses present on the fourth floor of the Mantralaya from where the fire started. Sources said that once the officers complete recording the statements of these witnesses, they will then begin to record witness statements of the ministers present in the building.
Investigations to ascertain whether the fire was a sabotage or not were handed over to the crime branch by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan soon after the incident. A special team comprising a few selected officers has been formed to look into the matter, said a source from the crime branch.
“Statements of a few more witnesses were recorded on Sunday. These are the key witnesses who were present on the fourth floor. They were also the ones who raised an alarm when they saw the fire,” said a senior crime branch officer.
According to the officer, the statements of these witnesses will be crucial. “After we are done with recording their statements, we will also record the statements of witnesses who were present on the fifth and sixth floors that were also engulfed in the fire,” he said.
The urban development, revenue, relief and rehabilitation, forest, home, tourism, transport, ports and FDA departments have been affected in the fire which engulfed the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of Mantralaya on June 21.
Another source said that statements of ministers like Babanrao Pachpute, Jayant Patil and Anil Deshmukh are also likely to be recorded in due course of time. “The fire reportedly started from near Pachpute’s cabin and then later spread. All these ministers were also present inside the building so their statements will also be recorded,” he said.