After Nampally laboratory fire, State FSL director says evidence in sensitive cases retrieved

Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory Director Shikha Goel on Sunday (February 8, 2026) clarified that evidence linked to two high-profile cases at the centre of widespread rumours on social media remains safe and intact, following the fire that broke out at the laboratory in Nampally a day earlier.

Addressing a press conference at the Molecular Biology Building just a few steps away from the accident site, Ms. Goel said no material connected to the 2015 cash-for-vote case or the 2024 phone-tapping case had been destroyed in the fire, countering speculation and misinformation circulating online since the incident.

The fire broke out on Saturday (February 7, 2026) morning in the computer forensics laboratory located on the first floor of the Ground+2 building. Ms. Goel said the incident was first noticed by an employee, Sai Krishna, who saw smoke emanating from the computer forensics section. A smoke detector immediately raised an alarm, following which fire tenders reached the spot within minutes and brought the situation under control.

She said the fire affected the computer forensics laboratory, a training room and the library. A complaint has been lodged and a case registered at the Nampally police station. The extent of damage is currently being assessed.

Emphasising that the integrity of case evidence had not been compromised, Ms. Goel said a large portion of the case property stored at the facility had already been retrieved and placed under proper security, while most of the remaining items were also safely recovered after the fire.

Referring to the cash-for-vote case investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, she said the FSL had received 16 material objects in 2015 and that the case file was submitted to the ACB court the same year. “All 16 items were returned to the court in 2021, and no material related to this case was present in the FSL at the time of the fire,” she added.

On the phone-tapping case registered at Panjagutta police station in 2024, Ms. Goel said the FSL had received 136 material objects between March 2024 and January 2026. Of these, all but seven items had already been examined and reports submitted to the forwarding authority. The remaining seven items were also under examination, with reports currently being prepared. She said several items had already been returned to the concerned authority, while all material that was present at the FSL during the fire had been safely retrieved and secured.

The official said the laboratory is currently operational, except for the computer forensics section affected by the fire. She added that once clearance is received from the fire and police departments, the affected area would also be made functional. Steps are also being taken to conduct a comprehensive fire safety audit of the FSL immediately, she said.