The source, who is apprised of the investigation, did not wish to be identified because the inquest report is still being drafted.
MUMBAI: There may be more to the blaze at the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s office in the MHADA building at Bandra on Tuesday evening than meets the eye, said a source in the Kherwadi police station. The source, who is apprised of the investigation, did not wish to be identified because the inquest report is still being drafted.
A perusal of the log of people entering and leaving the building on Tuesday – a state holiday – showed that some MHADA employees were allowed to work. Moreover, preliminary information gathered by police suggest that some workers were allowed to carry out repairs on the third-floor residence of B Shreemali, the Mumbai Housing Board’s chief officer.
According to norms, those called to work on holidays have to secure prior permission from the head of their department or from MHADA’s chief vigilance officer. Records show that no SRA employee was called in for work on Tuesday.
Debashish Chakraborty, SRA chief executive, said: “We did not call anyone on Tuesday. All our officers were busy in another programme at Chandivali.”
He said even if the SRA had wanted any of its staff to report for work, the authority would have had to seek permission from MHADA’s vigilance officer.
“Our office in the building is on the fifth floor. The onus for security lies with MHADA, not us,” he said. “Besides, all the rooms were locked.”
Prakash Pawar, the chief vigilance officer, said his office had not given permission to any SRA staff to use the premises on the day of the fire. Only SL Salunkhe, MHADA's assistant deputy registrar, and some labourers who were working in Shreemali's flat were given permission to enter the building.
Chakraborty said most of the files that were charred in the fire were not those required by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the court in connection with slum rehabilitation scandals. "A majority of these files related to the ongoing slum projects for which approval from the slum body to undertake development was being sought," he said. The SRA has initiated no new projects since November 30.
SRA engineers said some 800 proposals are pending with the authority. A team of forensic experts visited the site on Wednesday to collect samples for investigation.
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