Fire breaks out at Judicial Magistrate’s office in Bihar, important records destroyed
text_fields
Patna: A major fire broke out on Saturday morning at the office of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Kiran Kumari, located inside the fort complex in Bihar’s Munger district, reportedly destroying several important case files, legal documents and old records.
According to court staff, the fire broke out at around 9:50 a.m., shortly before the court was scheduled to open. As no employees or officials were present inside the office at the time, no casualties were reported.
The fire department was alerted immediately, following which two fire tenders reached the spot. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly an hour before bringing it completely under control.
The incident triggered panic in the court complex, with a large number of court employees, police personnel and lawyers gathering at the site after news of the fire spread.
Preliminary information suggests that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze. However, officials are conducting a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.
The court administration has begun assessing the extent of the damage and is preparing a detailed inventory of the files and documents destroyed in the blaze.
A technical inspection of the electrical wiring and cables is also underway. Authorities are examining the wiring and cables across the entire court premises to prevent similar incidents in other courtrooms, the judicial hall, judges’ chambers, cafeteria and other important areas in the future.
Officials are also examining other possible causes of the fire and identifying people who were present in or around the area when the incident occurred.
While no loss of life has been reported, the destruction of court records has raised concerns over the preservation and possible reconstruction of important case-related documents.
In view of the incident, hearings scheduled for Saturday have been postponed, and the next date is expected to be announced soon.
With IANS inputs