Ahmedabad:

The Gujarat High Court on Thursday again rapped the state government over the Rajkot game zone fire that killed 27 persons in May, wondering why a demolition order against the illegal structure was not executed for nearly a year.

The censure came in response to an affidavit submitted to the division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi that has been hearing a suo motu PIL (public interest litigation) it had taken up on May 26, a day after the tragedy.

The Gujarat government on Thursday also submitted its “fact-finding inquiry” report in a sealed cover to the HC on the TRP game zone blaze in Rajkot.

The bench last month had expressed displeasure over the investigation into the fire and ordered a “fact-finding inquiry” to uncover how the illegal game zone had come up and what roles officials played in it.

This had prompted the Gujarat government to appoint a “fact-finding committee” comprising IAS officers Manisha Chandra (Commissioner of Rural Development), P Swaroop (Commissioner of Land Reforms) and Rajkumar Beniwal (Vice Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Gujarat Maritime Board).

While going through the state’s affidavit on Thursday, the chief justice said though the officials of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) were aware that the TRP game zone was illegal, no action was taken against it despite a demolition order being served to the management in June 2023.

“A demolition order was issued by the RMC. One year has passed since then (till the fire incident). Why was it not executed? Where is the answer? That demolition order proves that officials knew that the structure was illegal,” the CJ said.

When Advocate General Kamal Trivedi pointed out that the present Municipal Commissioner has already suspended RMC’s Town Planning Officer (TPO) and an Assistant TPO for negligence, Chief Justice Agarwal said it was not enough.

“Taking action against a few people will not help you. The working (style) has to be revisited. There are loopholes and lapses which need to be taken care of. You cannot put this state in this situation. It is very serious that such incidents are happening,” noted the chief justice.

The bench also expressed displeasure over the state government’s submission that the then Rajkot municipal commissioner was unaware of the illegal structure because TPO and his office were dealing with the matter and the demolition notice was sent by TPO, not the civic chief.

“You can’t say that this was not brought to my notice. It’s not an excuse. Even I can’t say that. I have to take responsibility for everything, good or bad. This should be the approach of the head of an institution,” the CJ said.

Since a report from the state government-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) is still pending, the court has asked Mr Trivedi to submit it as well as an Action Taken Report on July 25, when the matter will be heard next.

Twenty-seven persons, including four children, were killed in the massive fire that swept through the game zone in the Nana-Mava locality of Rajkot city on May 25.

A probe revealed that the game zone was running without any no objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department of the RMC.

Rajkot:

A court in Rajkot in Gujarat on Friday remanded in police custody till June 12 four officials who were arrested in connection with the May 25 game zone fire that killed 27 persons.

Rajkot town planning officer (TPO) M D Sagathia, assistant TPOs Mukesh Makwana and Gautam Joshi, and former station officer of Kalavad Road fire station Rohit Vigora, who were held on Thursday, were produced in the court of Judicial First Class Magistrate B P Thakar.

While seeking their remand, public prosecutor Tushar Gokani informed the court that Section 36 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with effect caused partly by act and partly by omission, has been invoked against the accused and subsequently added in the main FIR.

Gokani told the court Sagathia knew since 2023 that the game zone was illegal and that it must be demolished as per law but took no action.

The custody of Sagathia along with that of his two junior officers was required to elicit more information about the reasons which led to the tragedy, Gokani told court.

Gokani said a welding spark had caused the fire at the game zone which killed 27 persons. Upon learning about the blaze, Vigora and his team of fire fighters had reached the spot.

He drew the court’s attention to the fact that a small fire incident was recorded at the same game zone in September 2023 due to welding work and at that time too, it was Vigora, as the fire station officer, who had reached the spot and doused the fire.

Though Vigora knew that the game zone had been running without a no objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department, he did not take any action and, thereby, indulged in illegal omission, the public prosecutor said.

Nine persons, including four owners and a manager of the ill-fated TRP Game Zone, have been arrested, while nine officials have been suspended for alleged “gross negligence in allowing the game zone to operate without necessary approvals.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The main accused in the case of a gaming zone fine in Gujarat’s Rajkot, which killed 27, has been arrested, the police said on Monday.

The key accused Dhawal Thakkar was arrested from Abu Road in Rajasthan. The police received information that he had been hiding at his relative’s house in Rajasthan.

A local court earlier today sent three men arrested in connection with the game zone fire to police custody for 14 days.

Special public prosecutor Tushar Gokani said that when asked about certain documents, the accused claimed they got burnt in the fire.

A first information report (FIR) was filed against six partners of the TRP game zone. Two partners in Raceway Enterprise, which operated the TRP game zone, Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, and the manager of the recreation centre, Nitin Jain, were arrested earlier today.

As per the FIR, the accused erected a 50-metre-wide and 60-metre-long structure that was as high as a three-storey building using metal sheet fabrication to create a game zone.

They did not have proper firefighting equipment and had not obtained no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department.

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said the government-appointed special investigation team (SIT) had seized all files related to the game zone for further investigation.

“The SIT has seized all relevant files from 2021 till 2024 in my presence from various departments such as the road and building department, police and Rajkot Municipal Corporation. We will not spare those found guilty of any wrongdoing,” Mr Sanghavi told reporters in Gandhinagar.

Gandhinagar:

The Gujarat High Court on Monday lamented the heart-breaking death of 28 people, including nine children, after a fire ripped through a gaming zone in Rajkot that lacked the required permits.

The gaming zone – backed by six partners, of whom only two have been arrested so far, was set up in 2021, but did not apply for a fire safety certificate till this year, the court was told.

“This incident is an eye-opener. System’s eyes have opened after the death of innocent children. Such a game zone cannot be run at the cost of small children being killed,” the court said, directing the ruling BJP to file, as an affidavit, the report to be submitted a special investigative team.

The team – set up immediately after the blaze – had been given 72 hours to file a report (the provisional deadline, therefore, is Wednesday), but an interim document expected today.

“How can a game zone run without permission under the nose of the (city) corporation… of the local police station?” it asked, “When will families stop losing loved ones due to man-made tragedies? This needs to be answered…” The court directed all concerned civic bodies and fire departments to take necessary steps to ensure rules are followed for all structures, temporary or otherwise.

“Innocent people of the state should not die in fires like this,” the court also said, adding, “Such incidents like this are happening due to violation of fire safety rules.”

For the Rajkot incident, the court has demanded the municipal body chief and the concerned civic officers inform it of steps taken since 2021 to ensure city buildings are up to code; city officials and the state received a sharp reprimand earlier today after admitting that gaming zones in Rajkot and Ahmedabad did not have certain permits, including a critical NOC from the Fire Department.

“We can file contempt of court (charges)… but it is not necessary at this stage,” a furious court warned the heads of the Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot municipal body chiefs.

The Chief Fire Officer of each city has also been hauled up; s/he has been told to submit an affidavit that details fire safety exits and equipment available at gaming zones in their jurisdiction.

They have also been told to submit reports for future planning. “The concerned corporation officials, including the commissioner, have to be fixed,” the court stressed.

READ | “Now Don’t Trust Gujarat Government”: Court On Rajkot Fire Lapses

Earlier today the Gujarat High Court said it could no longer “trust” the state government, which is controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP. This was after the Rajkot municipal body told the court its approval – for building and running the game zone – had not been taken.

“This has been going on for two-and-a-half years (referring to the Rajkot gaming zone). Are we to assume you turned a blind eye? What do you and your followers do?” the court thundered.

The hearing then went from bad to worse for the Rajkot municipal body after photographs showed officials at the gaming zone. “Who were these officers? Did they go there to play?” the court asked.

The court also ripped into the state government.

READ | Welding Sparks May Have Caused Fire At Gujarat Gaming Zone

“Have you gone blind? Did you fall asleep? Now we do not trust the local system and the state,” the court raged when told fire safety certification hearings have been unresolved for four years.

Newly-Wed Couple Killed

Among those who died in the Rajkot game zone fire were a newly-wed couple – Akshay Dholaria and his wife Khyati, as well as his sister-in-law, Harita, to unwind after the wedding festivities.

READ | Newly-Wed Couple, Bride’s Sister Killed In Rajkot Gaming Zone Fire

Akshay, 24, who lived with his parents in Canada, came to Rajkot to marry Khyati, 20. They had a court marriage last Saturday – a week before the tragedy.

READ | “Jumped From 1st Floor”: Survivor Recounts Escape From Fire

Those killed included five of the Jadeja family. including children between 10 and 15 years old.

Three Arrested, Six Suspended

Apart from the arrests six officials, including two cops and three civic body officials – have been suspended for “gross negligence”. Also, a police case – with charges of culpable homicide – has been filed against the six partners who owned the gaming zone.

READ | Bodies Burnt Beyond Recognition In Rajkot Fire, DNA Samples Taken

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced aid of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. Mr Modi has said he is “extremely distressed” by the tragedy.

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