Dhaval Thakkar, the prime suspect in the Rajkot TRP Game Zone fire tragedy, was apprehended by the Banaskantha crime branch police and Rajkot Police in Rajasthan on Sunday. Thakkar, who hails from Abu Road in Rajasthan, had fled following the blaze at the game zone, which resulted in the deaths of 28 individuals, including four children.
Prior to Thakkar’s arrest, three individuals – Yuvrajsinh Solanki, Nitin Jain, and Rahul Rathod – had been detained in connection with the Rajkot game zone fire. The three accused were remanded to police custody for two weeks by the court of additional judicial magistrate BP Thakar, as confirmed by special public prosecutor Tushar Gokani.
Gokani informed the media that Yuvrajsinh Solanki attempted to display remorse before the court but later changed his demeanor. “When he entered the court, he tried to project that he had remorse for the incident and everyone felt that he was crying. After five minutes, he was laughing and arguing with the court,” Gokani stated.
He further elaborated, “This very accused seemed like he was crying as soon as he entered the court but in just a few minutes he started laughing and he said that ‘these kinds of things happen’, which was taken in a serious note by the honourable court.”
Gokani also mentioned that the accused were uncooperative during the investigation, which led to the request for a further 14-day police custody. Out of the six accused named in the FIR, four have been arrested to date.
The FIR was lodged against six partners of the TRP game zone on charges of culpable homicide following the fire incident that claimed 28 lives on May 25. Two partners from Raceway Enterprise, Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, along with the recreation centre manager, Nitin Jain, are currently in police custody.
The six accused, including the proprietor of Dhaval Corporation Dhaval Thakkar, as well as partners of Raceway Enterprises Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, Prakashchand Hiran, Yuvrajsinh Solanki, and Rahul Rathod, had collaborated to operate the game zone where the tragic incident occurred.
They have been charged under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by an act that endangers the life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt to a person by doing an act that endangers their life or personal safety), and 114 (presence when the offence is committed).
