Authorities are investigating a fire incident at the Forensic Science Laboratory of Telangana Police. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, did not result in the loss of evidence related to key cases, including one involving Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. The main opposition party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), expressed concerns that digital evidence linked to a 2015 ‘note-for-vote’ case may have been destroyed in the fire.
Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Director Shikha Goel confirmed that a complaint was filed with the local police, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. Following the outbreak of the fire at 10:08 a.m., staff members swiftly used fire extinguishers to contain it. By 1:30 p.m., firefighters had successfully extinguished the blaze, causing damage to facilities on the first floor of the FSL building, including the computer forensic lab, library, and HRD room.
Shikha Goel mentioned that an assessment of the fire’s impact is underway, with details to be disclosed upon completion. She refuted claims circulating in the media and social platforms regarding the fire’s cause and the loss of property related to specific cases. The FSL director assured that a significant portion of the case property had been secured appropriately and that evidence pertaining to crucial cases had already been submitted to the respective courts.
Allegations of property damage in a 2015 Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case were addressed by the official, stating that all material objects had been returned to the court in 2015. Regarding a phone tapping case, FSL had received 136 material objects between March 2024 and January 2026, with reports on most items already submitted. The remaining items are currently being examined, and reports are in progress, ensuring the safe retrieval of all material objects in FSL’s possession.
