Srinagar, June 28: Police has registered a case of arson into Dastgeer Sahab (RA) shrine fire at Khanyar and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the case has questioned the caretakers and management of the shrine.
Sources in police said an FIR number 37/2012 under 436 RPC (arson) was registered in police station Khanyar to look into all aspects of the tragedy that sent shock waves across Kashmir. “Section 436 is for arson. When there are allegations, we include the section to carry out investigations,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, Syed Aashiq Hussain Bukhari told Greater Kashmir. “Further investigations by SIT are going on in full swing. They are looking into all aspects of the case.”
According to a police official associated with SIT, they have questioned at least nine persons including the caretakers and the people responsible for management of the shrine. “We have to question some other people in near future and we did not reach any conclusion,” he said adding that all angles of the case were being investigated.
The official said during questioning it came to fore that one and a half month ago a cop in civvies posted at the shrine told the caretakers of shrine that smell was emanating from the upper storey. “The caretakers did not pay any heed to the cop,” the SIT official told Greater Kashmir. “The disclosure casts shadow of doubt on the caretakers and managers of the shrine.”
The SIT is also likely to question Waqf Board authorities as the caretakers have deposed before SIT officials that they had informed them about haphazard wiring at many places inside the shrine. “The caretakers claim that they have told Vice-Chairman of Waqf Board about the haphazard wiring,” the official said.
The official further said that they were also analyzing the pictures that appeared in newspapers and social networking sites. “We have to see if any picture had been fudged for inciting violence, IT experts are also working on that,” he said.
He said that SIT sleuths were also trying to reach the eyewitnesses who first spotted the fire. “Pictures and video footage of the accident shows flames in the dome of the newly constructed annexure of the shrine. We are leaving no stone unturned to investigate the case impartially,” he said.
SIT has already collected samples from the site and sent them for forensic examination.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 28 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST