A significant fire broke out at the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Mumbai zonal office-I in the early hours of Sunday, April 27, 2025, raising concerns about potential damage to crucial investigation records. While the fire, which raged for nearly 10 hours, did destroy documents and furniture, the ED has stated that ongoing investigations and trials should not face major impediments due to the availability of digital records.
The fire, reported at approximately 2:30 AM at the Kaiser-I-Hind building in the Ballard Estate area of South Mumbai, was finally brought under control around 2:00 PM. Firefighting operations were escalated to Level 3, the highest level, requiring more than eight fire tenders to manage the situation. Preliminary investigations suggest that a short circuit in the power boxes on the fourth floor, where the blaze originated, was the likely cause.
According to fire officials, the presence of furniture in common passages and balconies initially hampered firefighting efforts. The building's single staircase and limited ventilation in the attic also posed challenges. Fortunately, only canteen staff and security personnel were present when the fire started, and no injuries were reported.
The ED has acknowledged that some physical documents and furniture were destroyed. However, the agency emphasized that evidentiary documents and relied-upon documents (RUDs) are routinely stored as digital records within a centralized record-keeping system. Furthermore, original records pertaining to cases where prosecution complaints have been filed are already with the concerned courts. This dual storage approach is expected to mitigate any significant disruption to ongoing probes or court proceedings.
The affected office, located on the mezzanine (4th) floor, housed the agency's additional director's office and investigation units. While damage assessment is still underway, the ED believes the impact will be limited as the floor primarily stored administrative documents rather than the main server containing case records. Offices on the ground and first floors of the Kaiser-I-Hind building remain functional. The part of the office affected by the fire has been temporarily shifted to the old regional office situated at Janambhoomi Chambers.
The incident has, however, highlighted the need for a dedicated and modern office space for the ED in Mumbai. The agency is expediting the establishment of a standalone office in the Bandra Kurla Complex, for which the Maharashtra government allocated land in March.
The fire has raised concerns about the potential loss of investigation records related to high-profile cases, including those involving fugitive businessmen like Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi, as well as politicians such as Chhagan Bhujbal and Anil Deshmukh. While the ED maintains that digital backups will prevent any major setbacks, the incident underscores the importance of robust data management and disaster recovery protocols for agencies handling sensitive information. The questioning of scheduled witnesses summoned by ED for statements at the office will be affected following the fire. Operations have been shifted to an alternate location.
