Thiruvananthapuram: At a time when the smoke of suspicion rises over the cause of the fire at the protocol division of the state secretariat, all eyes are on the Forensic Science Laboratory's chemistry and physics division examination report which could prove decisive in the case.
The lab report will be submitted before the court within two weeks.
The government will land in a soup if the impending forensic division’s report yet again rejects the conclusion arrived at by various departments including the State Disaster management department that the cause of fire was short circuit. The forensic experts had arrived at a preliminary conclusion that electric short circuit was not the cause of fire based on the detailed laboratory investigation conducted by the physics division on the pieces of electric wires collected from the site of the fire incident. Subsequently the preliminary report was handed over following which direction was issued to the Chemistry and Physics departments to conduct further investigations.
In between, there were attempts from police headquarters to take over the post of forensic director, which led to suspicion and speculations. The DGP's recommendation that either an IG or DIG level officer should be posted as Forensic Director also triggered a major controversy.
There are allegations that a week after the incident, a senior officer attached to the police headquarters had summoned the staff of the forensic laboratory on a Sunday to ascertain the details of the report.
Forensic wing rejected short circuit theory
Earlier, the reports submitted by Disaster Management Commissioner Dr A Kowsigan, departments of public works, fire and rescue services and electoral inspectorate had pointed out electric short circuit as the cause of fire in their respective reports submitted to the government. It was only the forensic department which rejected the short circuit theory.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala came out with startling allegations that an IG level officer was continuously exerting pressure on the forensic laboratory officials pointing out that if the investigation reports are not unified in character it would adversely affect the government. Though the government had entrusted ADGP Manoj Abraham with the probe, he is yet to submit his report.
The fire broke out in the protocol office in the General Administration Department (GAD) (Political) of the Secretariat on August 25. The protocol office, which deals with affairs such as foreign trips of ministers and government officials, was apparently under the radar of the central agencies probing the case.
