A major fire engulfed the record room of the Gurugram district court on Friday, destroying a large number of official documents and case files. The blaze broke out in the afternoon and quickly spread through the room, which stored decades of judicial records. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and the fire was brought under control after several hours. No casualties were reported as the record room was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Cause of Fire Under Investigation
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit. However, officials have not ruled out other possibilities. The record room housed important documents, including case files, judgments, and administrative records dating back several years. The loss of these records is expected to cause significant inconvenience to ongoing legal proceedings.
District court authorities have formed a committee to assess the extent of damage and to plan for the restoration of lost records. Many lawyers and litigants expressed concern over the loss of original documents, which could delay cases.
Response and Aftermath
Firefighters from multiple stations responded to the scene. The court premises were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Senior administrative officials visited the site and assured that efforts would be made to digitize remaining records to prevent future losses. The incident has raised questions about fire safety measures in government buildings.
Legal experts suggest that parties involved in cases where records were destroyed may need to file applications for reconstruction of documents. The court is likely to issue guidelines on how to proceed with affected cases.
