A major fire broke out early Sunday morning at the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) Zone-1 office located in Ballard Estate, South Mumbai, triggering concerns about the potential loss of critical documents tied to high-profile financial crime investigations. The fire reportedly raged for nearly 10 hours, damaging large portions of office infrastructure, including computers, administrative documents, and investigative records.
While there were no casualties, the blaze has cast a shadow over the status of ongoing ED probes involving several prominent individuals, including fugitive businessmen Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi, and senior politicians Chhagan Bhujbal and Anil Deshmukh. Preliminary assessments suggest the fourth floor and mezzanine area, which houses senior officers’ cabins and administrative storage, bore the brunt of the damage.
Digitized Records Offer Hope, But Witness Summons May Be Affected
According to officials cited by The Times of India, although the fire caused extensive physical damage, many investigation-related documents had been digitized, providing a possible route for recovery. However, officials are still assessing the full extent of the loss, especially concerning non-digitized administrative files and internal records.
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The incident could impact ongoing inquiries and scheduled depositions, as the Mumbai office is a key regional hub for high-stakes money laundering and corruption probes. Witnesses summoned for questioning in the coming days may face delays as the ED grapples with rebuilding operational capacity and verifying case files.
Officials confirmed that original investigation records pertaining to cases where chargesheets have already been filed are secure, having been submitted to the respective courts. However, internal working copies and backup files may have been affected.
The fire originated in the mezzanine area attached to the fourth floor, which is used for storing documents. The cause is suspected to be a short circuit, though the exact reason is still under investigation.
Spotlight on High-Profile Cases: Choksi, Deshmukh, and Bhujbal
The fire raises particular concern over the ED’s ongoing and archived investigations into Mehul Choksi, who was arrested earlier this month in Belgium. Choksi is a key accused in the ₹13,850 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, alongside his nephew and billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi. The ED has been pursuing asset seizures and coordinating with international agencies to secure extradition and recover proceeds of crime.
The office also holds critical documentation related to former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who was arrested in 2021 in a money laundering case. The CBI initiated a parallel inquiry into corruption allegations made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, leading to a wide-ranging investigation into Deshmukh’s financial dealings.
Additionally, the fire may affect the ED’s case files related to senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who was accused of misusing his position to award infrastructure contracts, including the Maharashtra Sadan project, in return for kickbacks. The agency alleged that the money was routed through shell companies linked to Bhujbal and his family. Although Bhujbal was granted bail, the ED had continued monitoring linked financial flows.
While the Supreme Court recently dismissed the ED’s plea challenging Bhujbal’s bail, the case remains significant as part of the agency’s broader crackdown on political corruption in Maharashtra.
Investigation Into the Fire Underway
Authorities are now conducting a thorough fire and forensic audit to determine the exact cause of the blaze and assess whether any sabotage can be ruled out. The incident has raised questions over the data redundancy and disaster recovery mechanisms within key enforcement agencies handling sensitive information.
A senior official confirmed that additional security protocols and offsite data backup audits may be undertaken in the coming weeks to prevent similar risks in other zonal offices of the ED across India.
As the ED continues its multi-layered investigations into some of India’s most prominent financial crime cases, the fire at its Mumbai office could pose both logistical and procedural setbacks, unless critical data can be recovered or reconstructed.