A day after a massive fire caused extensive damage to judicial records and infrastructure at District Courts Complex in Gurugram, court work has been shifted to a makeshift arrangement at the PWD (B&R) Guest House, Civil Lines, while investigations continue into the cause of the incident with the possibility of foul play still under examination.
The fire, which broke out in the record room of Old Judicial Complex on Sunday, resulted in large-scale destruction of old case records, damage to multiple courtrooms and retiring chambers. It also caused partial structural collapse of the building.
The incident also saw emergency services, district administration officials and judicial officers work through the night to bring the blaze under control and secure the court premises. Administrative judge for Gurugram Sessions division and Punjab and Haryana High Court judge — Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra — also visited the fire-affected Old Judicial Complex to assess the situation on the ground.
Available information suggests, Justice Mishra inspected the damaged record rooms and adjoining court infrastructure, reviewed the extent of destruction, and interacted with judicial officers and administrative authorities overseeing emergency arrangements and restoration work.
Justice Mishra during the visit also stressed the need to prioritise safety, as restoration and assessment operations continue at the original site. As a result of the efforts, court functioning was restored on Monday morning in the alternative setup at PWD Guest House.
Ensuring the continuation of urgent judicial work without disruption, all affected courts begun hearing matters from the temporary venue, even as assessment of damage and retrieval of surviving records continued.
It is believed that senior judicial officers remained on the ground overseeing arrangements, while coordination with administrative authorities continued to streamline relocation and ensure continuity of proceedings for litigants.
According to officials, the fire originated in the central record room of the circular court building. Access to the affected section was initially delayed due to congestion and structural constraints in the area, which hampered immediate fire-fighting response and allowed the blaze to spread rapidly.
Despite deployment of multiple fire tenders, including assistance from industrial units and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the fire could not be fully contained for several hours. Subsequent structural weakening led to partial collapse of the building, further complicating salvage operations.
Authorities indicated that some portions of records in adjoining areas might still be intact but remained inaccessible due to safety concerns, including cracks and risk of further collapse. The Executive Engineer (PWD B&R) has been tasked with assessing structural stability before any re-entry is permitted into the affected zones.
Meanwhile, an FIR was registered at the Shivaji Nagar police station on the complaint of the Chief Judicial Magistrate under the provisions of the BNS. Investigating agencies have been directed to examine the incident from all possible angles, including the possibility of sabotage, which has not been ruled out at this stage
As restoration and shifting operations continue, the focus remains on ensuring uninterrupted judicial functioning while forensic and structural assessments are carried out in parallel to determine the precise cause and extent of the damage.
