On Monday, the Gujarat government ordered the suspension of seven officials, including two police inspectors and civic staff from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation. This action came in response to their negligence in connection with the tragic fire incident at a gaming zone in Rajkot that claimed the lives of 27 people.
The suspended officials include Jaideep Chaudhary and Gautam Joshi from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s town planning department, HR Suma from the Roads and Buildings department, Parsbhai M Kothiya from the RMC’s Road and Building Department, Rohit Vigora from the Fire and Emergency Services of RMC, along with police inspectors VR Patel and NI Rathod.
A government release stated that these officials were held accountable for allowing the game zone to operate without necessary approvals, highlighting their gross negligence.
Simultaneously, a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) conducted an investigation at the TRP Game Zone, where the fire occurred on May 25. An FIR has been filed against six individuals, including the owner and manager of the gaming zone, who have been arrested and presented in court.
The Rajkot Police Commissioner mentioned in a press conference that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the case, with efforts underway to apprehend the other accused. Initial findings suggest that the fire may have been caused by welding activity amidst fabrication work and the presence of inflammable materials.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi visited the Rajkot TRP gaming zone and met with the injured at Giriraj Hospital. Additionally, all gaming zones in Vadodara were inspected and temporarily closed down following this tragic incident.