'Mantralaya' toll mounts to 5, police launch probe

The bodies were recovered from the sixth floor of the seven-storey building after the blaze that raged on through the night was doused early this morning, more than 12 hours since it was first noticed.

The fire left behind a trail of destroyed files, damaged computers, charred furniture, blackened walls and broken glass panes.

Four teams have been constituted under Deputy Police Commissioner Ambadas Pote to probe the cause of the incident including sabotage.

Questions of a conspiracy have been raised since the offices housing the urban development department, in the eye of a controversy over Adarsh scam, were gutted.

Seeking to allay apprehensions, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said vital documents related to the scam were with CBI and the Judicial Commission constituted by the government.

"We have photocopies with us. Hence, the speculation that Adarsh probe will be hampered due to the fire is ruled out," Chavan, who holds the urban development portfolio, told reporters.

He said, "Hard disks of damaged computers will be retrieved, for which assistance of NASCOM and IT experts, including foreign agencies, will be taken."

The Chief Minister said 2.25 lakh files in 'Mantralaya' had been digitised and 3.18 crore papers scanned prior to the incident and were thus safe.

Chavan chaired a special meeting of his cabinet at 'Vidhan Bhavan' where he reviewed the situation in the aftermath of the disaster as the Crime Branch, which is usually entrusted with the task of probing underworld-related crimes, registered a case and formally launched a probe.

Entry to 'Mantralaya' was prohibited today, he said, said, adding people will be allowed in only after a structural audit had been completed.More