Probe into fire incident during PM's visit completed

VARANASI: The outcome of the magisterial probe into fire incident led by short circuit in electrical wires just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Asi Ghat on May 1 may land some engineers of electricity department’s electric safety wing in troubled waters.
On May 1 PM had reached Asi Ghat to launch first e-boat service in the country. Few minutes before his arrival at the function venue massive sparking in electrical wires under the main dais of event led to fire, though it was immediately extinguished by the fire fighters.The SPG team took serious note of the incident considering it a breach in PM’s security. The IG Varanasi zone SK Bhagat and SSP Akash Kulhary had recommended for proper investigation. In view of it the district magistrate Rajmani Yadav had ordered a magisterial probe into this episode. He assigned ADM City Vindhyavasini Rai and ASP City Sudhakar Yadav to conduct the magisterial probe jointly.
When TOI contacted ADM City and also ASP City on Tuesday they admitted that the magisterial probe had been completed and probe report is being finalized to submit to the district magistrate. However, both the officials denied disclosing the outcomes of their investigation. But, the sources revealed that during this investigation it surfaced that three junior engineers of electric safety division, who were assigned to look after electrical arrangements of the event and give safety certificate after checking the works done by the contractor to the district administration, had performed laxity in their duties. Sources mentioned that those engineers avoided visiting the event site, which had also been proved after checking the call detail records of their phones.
Ahead of this event Bhagat had already cautioned for proper packing of the electrical wires. After the end of PM’s event on May 1 night the SSP had mentioned that during initial investigation it was found that the electrical wires had not been packed properly with prescribed tapes. When water was sprinkled on decorative flowers, he said, short circuit took place and led to massive sparking. On the basis of the outcomes of their preliminary investigations the IG and SSP had also hinted that contractor engaged for electrical arrangements and installing sound system can also face action like black listing in case of laxity detected at his end.
The main dais of e-boat launching event was constructed on the soil floor on the bank of Ganga at Assi Ghat. Before 10 minutes of the arrival of PM, when mayor Ram Gopal Mohaley and few Bhartiya Janata Party MLAs had already taken their seats on the dais, sparking started under the dais. Fortunately before the synthetic clothes, used for decorating the dais, could catch the fire, the fire fighters had extinguished it. Due to this incident the sound system of event became defunct till it was repaired just before the arrival of Modi.