VASCO: The New Vaddem locality is still in shock over the incident of the death of Shivani Rajawat and her mother Jaidevi. People living around the building have confirmed that there used to be quarrels that were heard distantly by the neighbourhood. Little did they know that the quarrels may end up an incident that will shake the conscience of the people from the locality from its very foundation.
A neighbour from behind the building mentioned people living around hearing quarrels in the house. “Like all families, there were quarrels in the flat of Rajawats also. However, we did not know it would take such an ugly turn,” he said, while expressing pity over the death of not two but three persons, the third one is the child who wasn't even born.
Jaidevi, mother of Shivani was an ardent devotee of Santoshi Mata and that day too she had gone to the temple. When she came back she picked up milk packets and recollected Pratap Shet, landlord and general store owner. Shet said that she had come to buy a milk packet at 8.16 am and soon after the incident happened.
While describing the sound that was heard Shet said that it wasn't a blast but sounds that metal sheets would make when they fall from a height.
The shattered glass pieces of the windows of the kitchen and the bedroom however flew off almost 15 meters away into the front yard of the Santoshi Mata temple. Forensic experts confided that this can happen in a gas vapour blast.
The exploding gas (not from the exploding cylinder but the vapour caused by leaking gas) creates pressure which can shatter glass.
The landlord, Shet, informed that the police had come to conduct various inquiries and he had given all the information to the team.
‘Crime’ scene shows visible signs of tampering of evidence even before the forensics team reached
PRATIK PARAB
Vasco: It is evident that the Forensics team was called in about 48 hours after the LPG-related twin deaths occurred in New Vaddem. According to a source close to the investigations, and with video and photo evidence at hand, the sanctity of the scene of the accident (or a possible crime) was not protected.
The First photo of the accident scene at Rajawats’ home in New Vaddem Vasco was taken on November 18, when firemen were inspecting the site. The cylinder was kept on the stove for inspection with pipe connections intact.
In the second photo taken by the brother of the deceased on Sunday, the cylinder was disconnected. Now, instead of a cylinder, one plastic pan is over the stove. Other items including a milk packet bought minutes ago from the shop downstairs, before the accident, were at the same place.
The brother of the deceased, himself a police officer from Madhya Pradesh has claimed that the scene was interfered with before the arrival of the forensic team.
By looking at the two photos his claim holds ground. Critically the knob of the burner is seen in the ‘on’ position when firemen were inspecting and it is in a closed position in the second photo.
The position of the knob at the time of the explosion is important evidence as it is the easiest method to create a cloud by keeping the knob open for some time. This only goes to say that all important aspects of the explosion have been neglected, reasons best known to the Investigating Officer.
Secondly, it also shows how lightly an explosion investigation is being taken up. For the explosion at least the help of the NIA should have been taken as the explosion is at the residence of a naval officer. At the initial stage, if not murder angle, at least the terrorism angle should have been considered when the cylinder was intact.
The milk packet, in both photos, may be the only clue to reach the truth as in both photos it is at the same place, and it was brought by the deceased mother a few minutes prior to the explosion. It is intact which means the explosion did not take place on the kitchen platform but in front of the platform. That means the cloud was within a few feet away from the gas cylinder and stove.
All this shows that the investigation is not being done in the right earnest and will take justice away from the innocent victims of the incident.
