Hyderabad, Feb 7 (PTI) A fire broke out in a room storing different seized items at the Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) here on Saturday “damaging” computer systems, officials said.
The extent of damage was under investigation. No one was injured in the incident, they said.
Union minister and senior BJP leader G Kishan Reddy demanded the government clarify on the matter.
The fire occurred in a room on the first floor of the ground plus two floors building, where different seized articles like hard discs, papers were stored, the officials said adding the maximum portion of that room was burnt.
After getting information, fire and police personnel rushed to the spot, and the flames were extinguished and the smoke which emanated from the first floor was also brought under control.
“The fire started at around 10.15 am. We received information at 10.22 am. Smoke emanated from the first floor of the building, and the fire was extinguished in two hours,” a fire department official told PTI.
Five fire tenders and one firefighting robot were pressed into service to douse the fire. The blaze was restricted to part of the first floor, and some computer systems were damaged in the incident, they said.
“Physical evidence (seized items) as part of investigation (into cases) and computer systems were damaged. How much damage was caused to the systems and physical evidence and pertaining to which cases was still not known,” they said.
Based on preliminary investigation, a fire department official said they suspected an electrical short-circuit caused the fire.
Prima facie it appears that the fire started in the electrical switch board of the room, the official said. However, the exact cause was under investigation, the official added.
In the forensic lab, different items for testing and examination and different samples are stored, another official said. In the particular room, some computer systems are there which are used for research and analysis, he said.
Meanwhile, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy demanded that the state government make a statement on the fire incident.
“This is a matter of serious concern. We are coming to know that data related to investigation was there in computers and they got burnt. Government should make a clear statement,” he told reporters.
The government should make it clear whether back-up is there for the burnt computers or not, he said, hoping that alternative to technical and forensic evidence is available.
He claimed evidence and data related to high-profile cases, including cash-for-vote and telephone-tapping, was there in the FSL.
The cash-for-vote case pertains to allegations against CM A Revanth Reddy, a TDP MLA in 2015, of trying to bribe a nominated MLA in connection with an MLC election. PTI VVK SJR VVK SA
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