Published On : Wed, Aug 5th, 2015

CBI files gutted in major fire at CGO Complex in Nagpur

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photo (7)Nagpur: Many important files were reduced to ashes as a major fire broke out in the office of head of branch superintendent of police, CBI and ACB located at third floor of CGO Complex here.

photo 2 (3)Sources claimed the fire sparked after a short circuit in the computer room. Many computer hardware and software were destroyed in the fire. Since thick smoke was bellowing out the fire dept officials could not make in and tame the flames. Eventually, they doused the fire through the rear window by water cannon.

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Many files of the legal department and other files were also destroyed. Officials prevented the entry of media into the office.

It was the Security Guards who noticed the fire in the Office of the Head of Branch, Superintendent of Police, Central Bureau of Investigations and Anti Corruption Bureau on August 5, 2015 at around 6:30 am. The security personnel immediately informed the top brass of the CBI and informed the Gittikhadan Police Station and Fire Department. Both the Police and the Fire Department officials arrived at the spot within minutes of the receipt of information. Three Fire tenders were pressed into operation. Thick smoke bellowing out of the computer room had engulfed the entire office and the other two offices of the Water Department on the floor. Thick soot had blackened the walls and the roof of all the offices in the entire third floor.

Since the visibility was nearly zero, the fire department personnel had to break open the rear window and use water cannon to douse the fire. However, many important documents, files, seized incriminating evidence (against many criminals and unscrupulous elements who had swindled crores of Government money) was also destroyed in the fire and those which escaped the fire was destroyed by the water used to douse the fire.

Many computers including Monitors, Central Processing Unit (CPU), Printers, Scanners, Key boards, Mouse and other computer paraphernalia, were found practically melted.

There are many speculations over the incident of fire in the CBI office. It is said that the accused in innumerable cases might get scot free with the record of evidences destroyed in the fire.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Deepali Masirkar and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-III) Sanjay Latkar had visited the spot and inspected the extent of the damage. While addressing the media personnel Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-III) Sanjay Latkar said that this is a major outbreak of fire. However a detailed investigation which is on, will alone tell the extent of damage. We are not sure to assess the loss, he added. The Superintendent of Police, Central Bureau of Investigations and Anti Corruption Bureau was not present at the spot to provide any information on the damage by the fire.

In another fire incident that occurred on August 5, 2015, at around 4:15 am in Bahadura area, plastic pipes and other material was gutted in fire at a Glass Factory named A K Traders situated near Ujwal Gorakshan, owned by Haji Aslam Khan. The loss of goods worth lakhs of rupees is reported in the fire.