Thiruvananthapuram: The forensic report has pointed out that two liquor bottles which contained remains of alcohol were recovered from the protocol wing of Secretariat which caught fire on August 25.
The decisive disclosure has been made in the report submitted by the chemistry division of the forensic laboratory before the chief judicial magistrate court. The physics department has also submitted a report again stating that they could not find any possibility of short circuit at the site. With the submission of these reports, the mystery around secretariat fire, which led to destruction of files, has deepened further.
The fire incident took place on August 25 while the investigation into the gold smuggling case was in progress. The opposition had then alleged that the files in the protocol office were set on fire to sabotage the investigations.
This is the second time that the physics department of the forensic laboratory has rejected the state government’s short circuit theory. The first report was submitted before the court after examining the electric wire pieces and other material collected from the site. Subsequently the chemistry and physics departments were asked to carry out detailed examination.
The chemistry division had examined the presence of petrol, diesel and kerosene at the site. But they found alcohol. The physics department examined the burnt portions of ceiling fan, twisted metal and motor.
The mystery deepens
The reports submitted by disaster management commissioner Dr A Kowsigan, public works department, fire and rescue services, electrical inspectorate had pointed to the possibility of short circuit. There were allegations that one of the IGs tried to pressurize the forensic lab officials saying that the government would be harmed if the reports were not of a unified nature and it would not be appropriate to submit a contradictory report.
The partially burnt files and other major documents have been shifted to the strong room of the medical college treasury.
