“The fire set up yesterday morning on the 100th day of the Sikkim Suraksha Samiti (SSS) at the dharna stall by an alleged, outsider while the five members of the Sikkim Suraksha Samiti were inside was staged”, said IPS Tenzing Loday Lepcha (S.P Gangtok).
“According to the video footage which was retrieved from a nearby private residence, as the smart city CCTVs were under upgradation, it was revealed that the fire was set by one of the five members inside the dharna stall”, said S.P.
According to the SP, ‘one of the SSS members, came out of the stall in between 3:53 a.m to 3:57 a.m looked around, and then brought an inflammatory substance which was later confirmed as petrol by RFSL report on the spot. The SSS member then waited for about 5 minutes before lighting the fire at exactly 4:07 am, thereafter he came to other side and then proceeded to take out items from inside the stall. This whole fiasco of the fire lighting up, people exiting the stall took merely about 10 seconds. This clearly indicated that the ARSON case in which the SSS members had alleged that an outsider had set the fire at the stall was false and of their own doing’, stated S.P.
Further, the Investigation Officer SI Tilok Chettri’s report on the ARSON investigation found the case to be false and the culprit being one of the five members of the dharna, hence, clearing any doubts about connection between the ARSON case and the recent case of one of the member of SSS being allegedly manhandled by the Chairman of the Power Department, GOS.
The police now have lodged a new case against the five SSS members, lead by PI Rajiv Ramudamu, case 213/2022 under various sections, namely section IPC 182; False information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person. Section IPC 211; False charge of offence, made with intent to injure. Section IPC 120B; Criminal conspiracy to commit a punishable offence. Section IPC 435; ARSON, mischief by fire or explosive substance and lastly section IPC 34; Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
In yesterday’s case the five members of the SSS were deemed as victims, today upon further investigation and CCTV evidences police have found out that they had conspired and put up an act. The police are in possession of the DVR set which contains the footage from the CCTV, which will be forwarded to the CFSL for further investigations, while the police have made two copies of the footage one of the sealed copy to be produced in the court and another for investigation purposes.
In conclusion the S.P requests the public, who have CCTVs at their properties to keep them updated for their own security and in the future the police are going to initiate Pilot Project in Gangtok, which will see geo-tagging of all the smart city CCTV cameras and also personal CCTVs which will be helpful for investigations and useful to solve cases in the future.
Press Conference by the SP Gangtok on the ARSON case at Dharna Stall, outside DAC Gangtok.
“The fire set up yesterday morning on the 100th day of the Sikkim Suraksha Samiti (SSS) at the dharna stall by an alleged, outsider while the five members of the Sikkim Suraksha Samiti were inside was staged”, said IPS Tenzing Loday Lepcha (S.P Gangtok). “According to the video footage which was retrieved from a nearby private residence, as the smart city CCTVs were under upgradation, it was revealed that the fire was set by one of the five members inside the dharna stall”, said S.P.
According to the presser, ‘one of the SSS members, came out of the stall in between 3:53 a.m to 3:57 a.m looked around, and then brought an inflamatory substance which was later confirmed as petrol by RFSL report on the spot. The SSS member then waited for about 5 minutes before lighting the fire at exactly 4:07 am, thereafter he came to other side and then proceeded to take out items from inside the stall. This whole fiasco of the fire lighting up, people exiting the stall took merely about 10 seconds. This clearly indicated that the ARSON case in which the SSS members had alleged that an outsider had set the fire at the stall was false and of their own doing’, stated S.P.
Further, the Investigation Officer SI Tilok Chettri’s report on the ARSON investigation found the case to be false and the cuplrit being one of the five members of the dharna, hence, clearing any doubts about connection between the ARSON case and the recent case of one of the member of SSS being allegedly manhandled by the Chairman of the Power Department, GOS.
The police now have lodged a new case against the five SSS members, lead by PI Rajiv Ramudamu, case 213/2022 under various sections, namely section IPC 182; False information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person. Section IPC 211; False charge of offence, made with intent to injure. Section IPC 120B; Criminal conspiracy to commit a punishable offence. Section IPC 435; ARSON, mischief by fire or explosive substance and lastly section IPC 34; Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
In yesterday’s case the five members of the SSS were deemed as victims, today upon further investigation and CCTV evidences police have found out that they had conspired and put up an act. The police are in possession of the DVR set which contains the footage from the CCTV, which will be forwarded to the CFSL for further investigations, while the police have made two copies of the footage one of the sealed copy to be produced in the court and another for investigation purposes.
In conclusion the S.P requests the public, who have CCTVs at their properties to keep them updated for their own security and in the future the police are going to initiate Pilot Project in Gangtok, which will see geo-tagging of all the smart city CCTV cameras and also personal CCTVs which will be helpful for investigations and useful to solve cases in the future.