Amritsar:
A major fire broke out at the first floor of the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner office here today, destroying key British era documents, police said. No casualty has been reported in the fire, they added.
The fire was first noticed by the staff members of the Deputy Commissioner office, they said.
It is suspected to be an act of mischief as the fire started from the record room housing most important documents of British era, revenue record of pre-Partition era and vital documents related to Pakistan's Lahore, an official of the Deputy Commissioner said.
Around four fire tender engines were pressed into service to control the fire, police said.
Built during British era in 1849, the wooden record room was located on the first floor of the Deputy Commissioner office.
The officials said that as per the rules of Central Government the old record in the office of Deputy Commissioner at Amritsar office was to be "preserved and maintained permanently" but the fire destroyed the ancient record.
They said that previously also a fire broke out at the office when documents preserved from the time of the first Amritsar Deputy Commissioner, L Saunders till 1947, when Nukul Sen was in office, were gutted in fire.
Nukul Sen was 122nd Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, they said.