FSL fire accident: Evidence in Cash-for-Vote, Phone Tapping cases safe, says Director Shikha Goel
HYDERABAD: A fire at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Nampally on Saturday raised concerns about the safety of evidence in sensitive political cases. At a press briefing on Sunday, FSL Director Shikha Goel assured the public that all critical evidence, including materials from the cash-for-vote and illegal phone tapping cases, is secure. She said related reports were submitted to the courts years ago.
The fire started at 10:08 AM and was contained by 1:30 PM. Fire services responded promptly. The incident damaged the computer forensic lab and a training hall on the first floor. Goel confirmed there were no injuries or fatalities.
Director Goel addressed what she described as unsubstantiated and unverified claims following the incident. She clarified that in ACB Crime No. 11 of 2015, all 16 material objects were received by the FSL in 2015, reports were submitted to the ACB court that year, and the materials were then returned to the court. “No material pertaining to this case was available in FSL yesterday,” she added.
No loss of evidence
Regarding Punjagutta PS Crime No. 243, the illegal phone tapping case, Goel stated that the FSL received approximately 136 material objects between March 2024 and January 2026. Reports for all but seven items have been completed and submitted to the forwarding authority. The remaining seven are under examination, with their report in preparation. She emphasized that many items have already been returned and that all remaining items were safely retrieved after the fire.
The Punjagutta case (Crime No. 243) is a politically sensitive investigation. Police allege that a group of officers, led by former Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) chief T. Prabhakar Rao, conspired to tap phones, record conversations, create profiles of political leaders and supporters, and monitor their locations. The accused allegedly used this surveillance to pressure victims.
Goel urged the public and media not to spread unverified claims about the fire’s cause or the extent of the loss. She confirmed that a police complaint has been filed to investigate the fire’s origin.
“Steps are being taken to conduct immediate security and fire audits at the FSL and to restore operations in the damaged areas as soon as possible,” she added.
