In a significant statement made on Sunday, Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory (TGFSL) chief Shikha Goel refuted claims by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao that forensic material linked to the 2015 cash-for-vote scam was destroyed. The denial came after a fire broke out at the TGFSL building, affecting several rooms and damaging crucial facilities.
Goel clarified during a press conference on Sunday that none of the material objects connected to the case were present in the FSL premises but instead in the court’s custody. She detailed the extent of damage caused by the fire, which affected the first floor of the building, including the computer forensics laboratory, property room, case verification chamber, analysis chamber, and server room.
Additionally, the Human Remains Detection (HRD) hall and other rooms on the first floor, furniture, equipment, and other materials were also damaged in the fire. Following the fire, both members of the ruling Congress and opposition BRS made allegations that crucial evidence related to separate incidents – the phone tapping case of 2023 and cash-for-vote case of 2015 – had been deliberately destroyed in the fire.
The phone-tapping case is alleged to have occurred under the previous BRS regime, during which phones of political opponents, journalists, and judges were illegally monitored and surveilled via a Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) unit. The 2015 cash-for-vote case involved then Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and incumbent CM Revanth Reddy.
Referring to the phone-tapping case, Shikha Goel said that the FSL had received 136 material objects between March 2024 and January 2026 in connection with the case. She explained that 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. Goel added that several items had already been returned to the concerned authority.
The incident has raised concerns over the integrity of forensic evidence in ongoing investigations and the potential impact on related court cases. The TGFSL will continue its investigations and work towards restoring the damaged facilities as quickly as possible.
