CCTV footage salvaged, visuals clear, say police

The crime branch, which is investigating last week’s fire at the Mantralaya, on Tuesday said it had retrieved footage from all closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the state secretariat.

The crime branch, which is investigating last week’s fire at the Mantralaya, on Tuesday said it had retrieved footage from all closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the state secretariat.

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Officials said they were scanning footage secured from 102 cameras at the building. They added that the footage was retrieved with the help of technical experts and is clear enough to establish the sequence of events on that fateful afternoon.

“We have gone through a fair amount of footage… [The visuals] are clear and a probe is underway,” said Niket Kaushik, additional commissioner of police (crime).

Investigators added it was clear that the fire had first started on fourth floor, though the spot was yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, the process of registering statements of those who were in the building when the fire broke out is underway. Officials have registered statements of over 80 persons in connection with the incident. However, these do not include any politicians. Police are recording statements in three stages: injured persons first, then officials and followed by the maintenance staff at the Mantralaya. A team of 35 experts including 20 forensic experts, 10 engineers and five fire officials are assisting the crime branch in the probe.