Panic ensued on Monday morning i.e. May 11, 2026 when a sudden fire broke out in the office of the Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence (DGGI) located on VIP Road in Surat city.
As the fire originated in the record room on the fourth floor of the office, it is feared that many important documents and files related to tax evasion have been burnt to ashes. The fire department brought the fire under control after two hours of strenuous effort.
Panic due to fire just as office was about to open
According to information received, the DGGI office is located on the fourth floor of the White House building on Vesu VIP Road. On Monday morning at 9:21 AM, as the office was about to open, plumes of smoke were seen emanating from the record room.
In no time, the fire took a fierce form. Following the incident, employees and people in the building rushed downstairs to save their lives.
Fire brought under control after two hours of effort
Upon receiving information about the fire, Sub Fire Officer Rohit Khalasi of Surat Municipal Corporation’s Vesu Fire Station, along with more than 6 vehicles and firefighters from three fire stations, immediately reached the spot.
After an operation that lasted for two hours, the fire department completely brought the fire under control. Due to heavy smoke, operations were carried out wearing oxygen masks. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries in this incident, but the files in the record room suffered extensive damage due to fire and water.
Important documents and files burnt to ashes
The DGGI department primarily works to catch large-scale GST evasion. According to sources, the record room where the fire broke out contained evidence, files, and seized documents related to many sensitive cases of tax evasion. Due to the fire, this paperwork and files have been burnt, which may hinder future investigations.
Short circuit or other reason? Investigation begins
The primary cause of the fire has been stated as unknown, however, the possibility of the fire being caused by a short circuit cannot be ruled out. GST Joint Commissioner Gurush Matharu and other high officials also rushed to the spot. Currently, an investigation has been launched by the fire department and police to ascertain the exact causes of the fire.
Source from: https://www.bhaskarenglish.in/local/gujarat/surat/news/gst-evasion-documents-fire-surat-dggi-office-137907969.html
