ED says fire won’t impact probes, trials; back-up in place

The agency has concluded its preliminary assessment of the damage, while an actual assessment is underway

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said the major fire at its South Mumbai office on Sunday will not impact its investigation and trials into its cases as it has back-up of all crucial case documents, including evidentiary documents, relied-upon documents and original documents. The agency has concluded its preliminary assessment of the damage, while an actual assessment is underway, agency officials said.

Mumbai, India - April 27, 2025: Fire Brigade Official doused fire at ED Office at Ballard Estate, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

ED officials said the fire broke out at 2.25 am on Sunday, on a mezzanine floor linked to the fourth floor of the Mumbai zonal unit’s office in Kaiser-I-Hind building, Ballard Estate. No one was injured and no foul play is suspected.

“Preliminary damage assessment shows that certain documents and furniture were destroyed in the blaze. But evidentiary documents pertaining to investigations and relied-upon documents have been stored as digital records as well as in an internal, centralised record-keeping system,” an ED official said.

“With regard to cases where prosecution complaints or charge sheets have been filed, the original records are available with the courts concerned. Therefore, we expect no impediments in conducting investigations or trials,” the ED official said.

The ED’s Mumbai zonal unit’s offices on the ground and first floor of Kaiser-I-Hind building were unaffected by the blaze. Further, the portion of the fourth-floor office impacted by the fire has been shifted and is now operational from the Old Regional Office at Janambhoomi Chambers in South Mumbai, officials said.

In March, the state government had allotted land to the Enforcement Directorate at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to construct office space. Work is underway, an official said. “Procedural requirements are being expedited to build independent offices for the ED at BKC,” the official added.

The blaze, which took more than 12 hours to douse, saw more than 50 personnel fire personnel and multiple fire tenders pressed into service. It was classified as a Level III fire, or a major fire.