Overview
- A major blaze broke out in the district court’s lower-court record room on Sunday, May 24, and firefighters battled the fire for hours as part of the building partially collapsed with no reported casualties.
- Preliminary checks indicate most paper files in the old record room were severely damaged and entry to parts of the structure remains unsafe until NDRF, SDRF and other technical teams complete structural and heat assessments.
- Investigators are examining causes on two tracks: fire officials say a short circuit is a likely trigger while police have registered an FIR alleging mischief and a seven-member special investigation team has been formed.
- Judicial functioning has been moved to the PWD Rest House where about 21 courts are operating, the High Court has ordered phased reconstruction of records, and the Gurugram Bar Association has offered to help rebuild case files so urgent hearings can continue.
- The loss echoes a 2022 fire at the complex and is expected to delay some judgments and case processing until records are reconstructed and safety clearances allow full access to the damaged building.