05 March,2011 06:53 AM IST | | Vinod Kumar Menon
One week on, many questions remain unansweredu00a0u00a0about theft of chief architect's laptop containing the designs from his office
THIS is one theft that reeks of a larger conspiracy.
One week after an unidentified man broke into the office of State Chief Architect Bipin Sankhe, who laid out the plans for the now controversial Wankhede Stadium revamp, and made off only with his laptop containing the designs, the police and activists are grappling with many unanswered questions (see box).
1. The thief broke into the toilet through the glass window and then broke the false ceiling
2. He then made his way into the lobby through the ceiling and opened the door of the
architect's office
3. The laptop was stolen from the chief architect's desk.
Sankhe, whose office is located on the sixth floor of the newly constructed Bandhkam Bhavan at Fort, said he learnt about the theft on Monday, February 28.u00a0 He said he had not reported to work on the Friday before that as he had gone to Nashik for a site inspection and that he leaves his laptop in the office whenever he's out.
"The theft must have taken place between Friday and Sunday. I don't know who's behind it but my laptop did contain a few project drawings and some confidential contents. I do, however, have hard copies of the plans," said Sankhe.
Suspicious
The Wankhede Stadium irregularities have been making headlines since RTI activist Amit Maru filed a PIL in court. MiD DAY, too, had reported about it on February 12 (Did NCP leader approve Wankhede plan violations?). The loss of a laptop containing the designs has made him suspicious.
"Whenever a controversy breaks out, either important documents go missing from government offices or laptops are stolen. The police then find it difficult to unearth the same, thus keeping the truth from the people," said Maru.
The Azad Maidan police have lodged a theft complaint and questioned a few staff members, including the peons. Officials suspect that an insider was involved in the theft, as the thief seemed to have thorough knowledge of the building's floor plan, but say it has been made to look like an outsider's job.
No cameras
Sankhe's office staff has access to his cabin even in his absence and there are no cameras installed inside or outside the office. "The police questioned us and took down our personal details. The theft has to be the work of somebody who knows the layout of the building. It is impossible for any outsider to commit such a crime," said a staff member.
Anil Mahabole, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Azad Maidan division), said, "We have questioned a few people and have got a fingerprint from the toilet, which we believe belongs to the suspect. We have sent it to the fingerprint expert and will definitely make headway in the case once we get the report. We are probing the case from all possible angles."
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Why did the thief steal only the laptop?
Why was the chief architect's cabin left open when he was not on duty?
If the laptop had sensitive information, why was it not kept locked?
Why are there no CCTV cameras or a biometric entry system in the office?
Insider's job?
Climbing into the building from the outside is nearly impossible, as it has no pipelines. A person would have to climb up to the seventh floor (terrace) and then make their way down. Police officials say the thief had, in all likelihood, used the elevators or the staircase.
The thief entered through the toilet, broke the false ceiling and got into the architect's cabin. The only way of getting to the toilet from the outside is to make your way through a slippery tile roof, which could be very risky.
