Court fire guts 7 chambers in Ggm; ‘Foul play’, say lawyers
GURUGRAM: A fire broke out at the Gurugram district court in the early hours of Friday allegedly due to a short circuit.The fire started in a lawyer’s chamber and spread to seven other cabins, police said, adding that no casualties were reported.
The fire broke out around 2 am and a passserby informed the police control room and the fire brigade, after which a team from Shivaji Nagar police station and the fire station reached the spot.
Gulshan Kalra, deputy director (technical), Haryana Fire and Emergency Services, said one fire tender from Bhim Nagar fire station was sent to the spot within minutes of the alert.
“The blaze was controlled in an hour. A short circuit of a wire in one of the porta cabins is suspected to be the cause. Seven chambers made of porta cabins were completely gutted,” he said.
Vinod Kataria, president of the district bar association, alleged foul play in the incident. He said lawyers received information about the fire and reached the spot at 2.45am.
“The case files, clients record, important documents, cash, cheques, computers, laptops and furniture has been destroyed, causing a loss of at least ₹30 lakh. At least ₹5 lakh were spent on each chamber after allotment,” he said.
Kataria said a group of lawyers also met the district and sessions judge on Friday and requested him to look into the incident. “All the lights and main connection of electricity were switched off. If the cause is a short circuit, then how is it possible that the fire broke out?” he said.
A case under Section 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Shivaji Nagar police station on Friday.
Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said the forensic team collected samples from the spot and police teams are conducting an investigation.
“All CCTV cameras of the area are being scanned to identify the suspect, if any,” he said.