A fire broke out in the accounts division of the Madhya pradesh Government Secretariat in Bhopal on Friday, causing damage to documents and files.
The accident occurred at 1 a.m. and fire tenders were rushed in to douse the fire and save the files that contained vital information.
Secretariat officials suggested that it could be a case of sabotage to cover-up monetary irregulations in government schemes.
"I think people who intended to cover up inefficiencies of the wrongdoings happening within the secretariat are responsible for the cover. This also brings employees at the secretariat within the parameter of doubt. The state is going for polls soon, so someone might have attempted to destroy the files, in order to hide loopholes. The culprits, which I think are some government employees, have done this, said civil secretariat official Virender Khondal.
He added that the burnt files and documents contained information for 19 rural schemes put in place by the central government.
A three-member committee has been formed to investigate cause of the fire.
