Senior citizen to blame for fire in Powai building lift: Residents

MUMBAI: Three days after a fire broke out in the lift of a building in Powai, a case of causing mischief by causing fire using an explosive substance has been filed against an unidentified person at Powai police station. Residents of Shivam Housing Society have named a society member who has been in the "defaulters' list", accusing him of sabotage, the police said.The suspect member refuted the charges.
A fire broke out in the lift of the building on Thursday. It was doused soon after.
A witness told the police on Sunday that he had seen the member, Mohammed Alamgir Sayed (72), carrying a pouch with "some chemical to kill mosquitoes" early that morning. The fire broke out about an hour later.
Residents ran out of their flats on hearing a huge blast in the lift. The residents claimed that someone had thrown a lit matchstick from the fifth floor on the elevator roof which had plastic pouches containing petrol. Residents claimed Sayed planted the petrol pouches to "eliminate society secretary who has filed a case against him at the registrar's office" for non-payment of Rs 50 lakhmaintenance dues.
Deputy commissioner of police Ankit Goyal said, "Society members have pointed fingers at Sayed, but we are collecting evidence."
Society treasurer Rajiv Ranjan said the "fire was planned to trap society secretary Saini in the lift for getting Sayed's name in the defaulters' list in 2017.
Sayed refuted the allegations, "I am the victim at the hands of the members who thrashed me in the presence of policemen after the fire. I have asked them to prove it... If my involvement is proven, I am ready to face any punishment. Even the cops did not take my complaint... Also, I have paid all maintenance dues. Society members are trying to frame me for getting a member arrested in a multi-crore fraud."