ED says files burnt in Mumbai office fire but digital records will help continue probe

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday said while certain documents and furniture have been burnt in the fire that took place at one of its offices in Mumbai, "no impediment" in probes or trial was expected as files are also stored digitally.

The federal agency issued a statement on the fire that broke out around 2:25 am on Sunday at the mezzanine floor (4th floor) of the Mumbai Zonal Office-I, located at the Kaiser-I-Hind building in Ballard Estate.

The prima facie reason for the fire appears to be a short-circuit at power boxes on the fourth floor, it said.

Though actual damage assessment is being carried out, preliminary assessment shows that certain papers/documents and furniture etc., have been burnt in the fire incident, the agency said.

"It may be mentioned here that evidentiary documents pertaining to investigation and relied upon documents (RUDs) are invariably stored in the form of digital records as well as stored in an internal centralised record-keeping system.

"With regard to the cases where prosecution complaints have been filed, the original records are available with the concerned courts," the statement said.

Therefore, no impediment in conducting an investigation or trial is expected, as per the agency that probes cases under the anti-money laundering law, the Foreign Exchange Violation and Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

The ED said offices on the ground and first floor of the Kaiser-I-Hind building remain "functional" and the part of the office on the fourth floor affected by fire has been shifted and is now operational from the old regional office situated at Janambhoomi Chambers.

The agency said the fire was first noticed by the staff and security guards stationed at the office, who informed night duty state police personnel deployed at the building.

The police informed the fire brigade around 2:30 am, which started the firefighting operation around 3:30 am with more than 50 personnel and multiple fire tenders.

The ED said it was in the process of establishing "standalone" office space for itself in Mumbai, as the Maharashtra government, in March, had allocated land at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai to the agency.

The procedural requirements are being expedited for making independent offices for the ED at the earliest, it said.