Probe begins into Stephen Court fire,cops do not rule out sabotage

A chemical substance reportedly found near a lift on the ground floor of the building has bolstered suspicions of a sabotage,said an officer.

“We have learnt from the forensic team that the fire may have started on the ground floor. Also,the forensic team recovered wielding machines from the fourth floor and a chemical substance from the ground floor. These are significant and critical leads,” said the officer.

Meanwhile,while conducting a check at the Queen’s Mansion — the building opposite Stephen Court– the police found that all staircases leading to the rooftop of the Mansion have been locked,as was the case in Stephen Court.

Charles Mantos,president of the building association in Queen’s Mansion,said: “The residents of buildings in Queen’s Mansion have noticed that the roof-enclosures have been locked for the last three to four days. Today,they reported the matter to me.”

He added: “I found that 8 to 10 staircases in three blocks of the building are locked. When we asked the caretaker to open the locks,he said he does not have the keys.”

When the police asked caretaker Tiwari for the keys,he dropped the bunch on the ground and fled. Police later broke the locks and entered the Mansion. Hinting at another suspected sabotage,a senior officer of the Shakespeare Police Station said: “The buildings are highly litigated. Because of the Tenancy Act,the lessees of the apartments pay very less to the the building owners. The owners,however,pay a huge tax to the KMC.”

He added: “So,for having the property decommissioned by the administration,they may opt for sabotage and we are probing that angle. We will check the papers and find which portions are litigated.”

The findings in Queen’s Mansion have prompted the police to check all buildings in Park Street,added the officer.