The devastating fire at the TRP Gaming Zone in Rajkot, Gujarat, has claimed the lives of 28 people, including 12 children. In response, six officials have been suspended.
Assistant Engineer Jaideep Choudhary and Town Planner Gautam Joshi, serving with the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, have been suspended. Similarly, two officers from the Road and Building Department, Additional Engineer Paras Kothia and Deputy Engineer M.R. Suma, faced suspension. Additionally, two police officers, Police Inspector N.R. Rathod and Police Inspector V.R. Patel, have faced disciplinary action.
In the aftermath, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel personally inspected the scene of the Rajkot Game Zone accident on Sunday, directing strict punitive action against those responsible. Following his instructions, the state government ordered the immediate suspension of the six officials.
A 5-Member SIT Formed by the Gujarat Government
The catastrophic fire broke out on a Saturday at the TRP Game Zone in Rajkot. It is reported that about 1500 to 2000 liters of diesel for generators and 1000 to 1500 liters of petrol for go-kart racing were stored at the site, leading to the rapid spread of the blaze that completely destroyed the structure. The Game Zone, which had an entry promotion for 99 rupees, was crowded during the incident due to this special offer. The state government had constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the case.
The Gujarat High Court took suo moto cognizance of the matter. The special bench called it a man-made disaster and pointed out that the construction and operations of the gaming zone were not compliant with regular and proper norms. The court noted that gaming zones on Sindhu Bhavan Road, Sardar Patel Ring Road, and SG Highway in Ahmedabad posed threats to public safety and sought explanations from municipal corporations in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot.
The court questioned under which legal provisions the operation of the gaming zones was permitted and ordered the corporations to provide this information within a day. The court also demanded a clarification regarding the adherence to fire safety regulations.
