Gujarat : Fire at Nirav Modi’s Sealed Surat Diamond Unit Triggers Questions

Surat | Gujarat — A major fire at Firestar Diamond Company, owned by fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, inside the Surat Special Economic Zone (SurSEZ) at Sachin has triggered alarm and raised uncomfortable questions for enforcement agencies. The unit, sealed for years by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was not operational, yet it witnessed two consecutive fires under mysterious circumstances—prompting concerns over possible tampering, security breaches, and destruction of crucial evidence.

According to sources, the first fire broke out late on Thursday night on the ground floor of the jewellery manufacturing unit located on Sachin Road. Fire brigade teams rushed to the spot and managed to bring the blaze under control. However, the situation took a serious turn when the fire reignited late on Friday night, January 9, spreading rapidly from the ground floor to the first floor. The flames raged for nearly six hours before multiple fire teams finally doused the blaze after extensive cooling operations.

What has intensified suspicion is the condition in which the sealed premises were found. Sources said the gates and windows of the company were broken, raising a critical question: who accessed a sealed unit located within a high-security SEZ zone? “This is a sensitive area with tight access control. How anyone entered the premises is a matter of serious concern,” a senior official familiar with the matter said.

Fire officials confirmed that everything inside the office was destroyed, including machinery, jewellery stock, air-conditioning units, computers, safes, furniture, wiring, elevation structures, and crucial office files. “The fire caused extensive damage, but there were no injuries or casualties,” a fire officer said, adding that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The mystery deepens as all utility connections—including electricity, water, and drainage—had reportedly been disconnected long ago after the ED sealed the unit. “Whether the fire was accidental or deliberately set is a key question that needs thorough investigation,” a local police officer said. Police have launched a probe, but officials remain tight-lipped on whether any criminal angle has been established so far.

Background: The Nirav Modi Case

Nirav Modi, once a prominent name in India’s diamond industry, fled the country in 2018 after being accused in the ₹13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. His companies, including Firestar Diamond, were accused of orchestrating one of India’s biggest banking scams through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking. The ED and CBI have since attached and sealed multiple properties linked to Modi across India.

“Nirav Modi’s case is not just about financial fraud, but about safeguarding evidence linked to economic offences,” a former ED official said. “Any damage to sealed assets raises red flags and must be investigated thoroughly.”

With crores worth of assets allegedly reduced to ashes, the fire at Firestar’s Surat unit has once again put the spotlight on the handling of properties linked to high-profile economic offenders—raising the question of whether this was mere coincidence or something far more troubling.