Maharashtra Govt. orders Crime Branch probe into Mumbai slum fire

Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil has directed the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police to probe the devastating fire in the Garib Nagar slums in Bandra last Friday.

"I have decided to refer the fire case to the Crime Branch, considering that the fire was huge and there was rumour of foul play", Mr Patil said after a visit to the fire-ravaged slum last evening.

On complaints that the fire-brigade reached the spot a bit late, he said the crime branch would look into this aspect also.

Hundreds of slum-dewllers were left homeless after the fire, adjacent to the Bandra railway station.

Meanwhile, the Western Railway said only a small part of the land, encroached by slum-dwellers, belonged to the Railway, while the civic authorities said the entire stretch of land was owned by the Railway.

NNN