Fire dept files police complaint over fake NOC

Vadodara: The fire and emergency services department of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has filed a complaint with the city police regarding a fake no objection certificate (NOC). The action was taken after one of the owners of the building, for which the fire NOC was obtained, revealed that a consultant had given him the certificate.

The fire department sought an explanation from the building, Arsh Plaza, near Mahavir Hall Crossroads, regarding the fake certificate. The fake NOC was detected following a fire at the building recently. After the fire in the electricity meters, the building got its wiring and electrical system repaired. It wanted power supply restoration.

A nod from the fire and emergency services department is needed to restore the connection. The application for the same, along with other documents including the NOC, was submitted to the fire department. During a review of the documents, the NOC came under scrutiny, as it bore the signature of former in-charge chief fire officer (CFO) Parth Brahmbhatt with former in-charge CFO Nikunj Azad's name on it.

According to sources, a hospital in the building that obtained the NOC revealed that it had approached a consultant to get the fire NOC. The hospital also revealed that the agency sent the NOC by WhatsApp. These details, shared in the explanation given to the VMC, were shared with Raopura police along with a written complaint, sources said.