MUMBAI: Three days after a fire broke out at
Scindia House, a five-storey
heritage structure in the office precinct of
Ballard Estate, the police on Monday recorded the statement of those present at the site on the day of the blaze.
As part of the probe, the police are awaiting a report from the
income-tax office about which documents were burnt. The I-T department is probing some high-profile cases.
On Monday, a police team and personnel from the
state forensic science laboratory inspected the site to ascertain if there was any sabotage.
Fire officials said the blaze started on the third floor, which houses the investigation unit of the I-T department.
A mobile forensic investigation van of the Mumbai police was stationed outside Scindia House on Monday. A team of 15 officials from MRA Marg police station, were engaged in carrying out a panchnama, which involves surveying a site and putting out a report on the circumstances as seen at the site.
“We have not registered a case yet. Our action will be based on the fire department’s report. We are recording the statement of those present at the site,” said deputy commissioner of police Manoj Sharma.
The panchnama started in the morning, after the fire brigade gave its nod to the police who had shut all gates and barricaded the area after the fire was doused. Cooling operations took more than two days.
The fire report is expected to be out in a fortnight.
Scindia House