KTR demands judicial inquiry into Forensic Lab fire

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday demanded a judicial inquiry into the Saturday’s fire incident at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Hyderabad and alleged that it was a deliberate conspiracy by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to destroy crucial evidence related to the long-pending “vote-for-note” case.

Addressing the media in Hanmakonda during the party campaign for municipal elections, Rama Rao claimed that the incident was stage-managed to permanently eliminate forensic material at a time when the case had reached its final stage, and a verdict was imminent.

KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, asserted that the circumstances surrounding the blaze raised grave suspicions, including the outbreak of fire in a highly secured facility during winter, the absence of staff in a laboratory that is supposed to function round-the-clock, and the government’s contradictory statements on the extent of damage.

“Initially, the authorities claimed that there was minimal loss. However, the FIR later revealed that ten years’ worth of evidence dating back to 2015 had been completely destroyed. This drastic shift only strengthens the suspicion of a conspiracy,” KTR alleged.

He further questioned how it took more than three and a half hours to extinguish the fire in a three-storeyed building when the flames were reportedly confined to the first floor. According to him, computers, servers and digital records were also gutted, with nearly 50 systems destroyed, effectively wiping out crucial forensic data.

KTR expressed deep concern that evidence related to thousands of serious criminal cases had allegedly been lost in the incident, potentially allowing dangerous offenders to escape justice. “This is not merely about one political case; this has direct implications for public safety and the integrity of the criminal justice system,” he remarked.

The BRS leader alleged that the Chief Minister was acting with tacit support from influential figures in Delhi and demanded that this angle be thoroughly probed. He called upon the Union government to intervene immediately and order an impartial, high-level investigation through its premier agencies.

He also urged the appointment of a retired judge to conduct an independent judicial inquiry into the fire and the alleged destruction of evidence.

Stating that he had little confidence in the state police machinery, KTR alleged that sections of the force were functioning like the Chief Minister’s “private army.” He challenged the Director General of Police to place all facts before the public if the department was truly independent.

He further demanded that an all-party delegation be allowed to visit the FSL premises and that forensic scientists brief political representatives on the circumstances leading to the blaze and the actual extent of the damage.

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