Income Tax office

Scindia House

Nirav Modi tax evasion case

St George’s hospital

Sixteen fire engines and 10 tankers were dispatched to Scindia House in Fort area

The fire gutted the third and fourth floors before spreading to the fifth floor; (R) People run for cover as thick smoke engulfs the building

Photos by Raju Shinde, Sachin Haralkar

Fire brigade takes over three hours to tame the blaze at, where sensitive documents related to several high-profile tax evasion cases are stored.A fire broke out at, where the offices of the investigation wing of Income Tax (I-T) department and the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) are located, in Fort area on Friday evening, sparking fears that crucial documents in high-profile tax evasion cases could be lost. The department is also probing theFortunately enough, there was no casualty in the incident, even though no less than 400 people work in the building at Ballard Estate. Five DRT employees, who tried to salvage some important documents and got stuck, took refuge on the terrace and were rescued by the fire brigade. They were taken toand discharged soon thereafter.The fire, described as Level IV, raged for more than three hours as it gutted the third and fourth floors before spreading to the fifth. Sixteen fire engines and 10 tankers were dispatched to the spot. The firemen managed to bring the blaze under control by 8 pm.Chief Fire Officer P Rahangdale said that the old heritage building posed a huge challenge for the firemen as it contained wooden furniture, files, records, paperwork and electric wires.“The fire spread fast because of these items. Six people were rescued from the third and fourth floors. We were able to contain the fire on the third floor. We had to use 35 breathing apparatuses as the third, fourth and fifth floors were engulfed in smoke,” said Rahangdale, adding that both the cause of the fire and the extent of losses are yet to be ascertained.“It was nearly 4.30 pm when we sensed that something was burning and vacated the premises,” said a DRT employee, who did not wish to be named.She said that she suspected the fire was caused by a short circuit and did not suspect any foul play. “The security is foolproof and it will be difficult for anyone to enter the premises,” she said.A security guard, Abijit Pol, whose swift response helped save many lives, said, “Someone complained of a foul smell. When I went to check its source, I realised that the smell was emanating from a cabin, which was locked as the official is on leave. Another guard and I broke the door and saw the room engulfed in flames,” said Pol.Another DRT employee said that the presence of plywood in their offices could have caused the blaze to spread faster. “All documents from searches conducted by the department are stashed in the building. Things obtained during seizures and evidence gathered are also stocked here,” he added.Others said that the evidence and documents connected to various probes being undertaken by the department could have been stored on the floor where the fire started. They added that as far as they knew, the department may not have a back-up of most of these documents, and if destroyed, it might be difficult to recover them.AA Shankar, Director General of Income Tax (Investigations), Mumbai, however, refused to comment.Asked whether the department followed a standard operating procedure in such cases when a huge pile of evidence faced the risk of being destroyed, Shankar said, “There is one procedure, but I will talk about it later.”