Cops arrest garbage mafia gangs’ heads for involvement in Deonar dumping yard blaze
Picture Courtesy: Arko Datta/REUTERS
A police team investigating into the March 20 blaze at Deonar dumping ground, have arrested two brothers — Ateeq Khan and Rafiq Khan – for trading scrap collected illegally from the junk yard, by hiring underage rag-pickers.
The Khan brothers have been arrested under sections 269 (negligence), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire), 435 (mischief by fire), 436 (causing damage to public property and acting to hurt somebody) of the IPC, the Khan brothers have been remanded in police custody till April 25.
According to Shivaji Nagar Police, the brothers head one of the garbage-mafia gangs with the most clout. Officers probing the matter say they are also investigating if the two were involved in the major fire on January 28, which raged for almost 10 days.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VI) Sangramsingh Nishandar has said that police have enough evidence to corroborate that the brothers were involved in the dumping ground fire.
In the ongoing investigation into the fires at the landfill, 20 people have been arrested so far.
