13 Dec 2023  |   07:10am IST

Mormugao SDM records statement of accused naval officer Anurag Rajawat

The statement recording went on for two hours; accused was subjected to questions arising from the complaint of Shubham Singh Chauhan, brother and son of the deceased Shivani Rajwat and Jaidevi Singh Chauhan

Team Herald

PANJIM: The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Mormugao  recorded the statement of the New Vaddem vapour cloud explosion accused naval officer Anurag Rajawat on Monday.

The statement recording went on for two hours in which Anurag was subjected to questions arising from the complaint of Shubham Singh Chauhan Brother and son of the deceased Shivani Rajwat and Jaidevi Singh Chauhan.

The SDM is investigating the aspects of the death of Shivani within 7 years of marriage and allegations of dowry harassment resulting in the death.

The SDM will also record statements of neighbours and firefighters who were the first to reach the site after the explosion. The final rites on the mortal remains of Shivani Rajawat were conducted on Friday last week.

The Vasco Police have continued to remain tight-lipped on the matter. While speaking to a section of the press Vasco Police Inspector Kapil Nayak said that he is waiting for the report from the SDM to take further action in the matter. 

Meanwhile, Shubham Singh Chauhan has maintained that the incident may have happened when his mother was attempting to light a lamp after her daily religious rituals and not when she was putting on the gas stove to heat milk. He said that there is a strong possibility that Shivani may have suffered burns as she attempted to save her mother from burning due to the vapour cloud that exploded on lighting up a matchstick. Chauhan continues to maintain that this is a planned murder and not an accident. 

It may be recalled that the brother of deceased Shivani Rajawat has filed a police complaint as well as a complaint before the SDM of Mormugao accusing murder of his sister and mother in the New Vaddem vapour cloud explosion incident. He has named Anurag Rajawat husband of Shivani for allegedly planning the murder and also alleged dowry harassment against the mother-in-law of his sister.

While speaking to the media brother Shubham Singh Chauhan has said that he does not trust police on the investigation. 

“How the police handled the case since the beginning is very disheartening,” he said, adding that Central agencies should investigate the matter.