The Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed to investigate the fire at TRP Gamezone in Rajkot last month that killed 27 people found “serious negligence” on the part of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC), which allegedly allowed the establishment to function on reserved land. for “residential purposes”.
The SIT also found that the Rajkot City Police issued a performance license to the gamezone allegedly without verifying whether it had got the required clearances.
An interim report from the SIT was part of the affidavit submitted by the state government to the Gujarat High Court. The government also told the court that it was in the process of amending its Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations, 2017 to include a separate chapter to regulate gaming activity areas.
In the SIT’s interim report, investigators recorded “serious negligence” by the then police inspector of license branch, NI Rathod, and then police inspector of Rajkot taluka police station, VR Patel, who issued a performance license to the gamezone without verifying whether necessary certificates. were granted to it by various departments.
The SIT also found fault with the RMC, specifically the town planning and fire departments. The land where the gamezone was situated could not have been used for commercial purposes as it was earmarked for residential purposes, and yet, no action was taken, the report said. It said this amounted to “serious negligence” by town planning officers.
Additionally, no inspection was carried out by the concerned local fire office, “which clearly shows the sheer negligence on the part of the station fire officer of this area”, the SIT report notes.
The SIT also recorded “gross negligence” by deputy executive engineer MR Suma and then assistant engineer Parasbhai Kothiya, of Rajkot’s Road and Building Department, for not thoroughly checking the purpose and planning of the site, as well as the safety and security measures in place. .
On Thursday, the High Court Bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai heard a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) initiated in the aftermath of the fire. The Bench recorded that “prima facie, our apprehensions have turned out to be somewhat true inasmuch as there has been a dereliction of duty on part of the officials of the corporation…”
Justice Vaishnav also remarked during the proceedings that “fault should lie at their (municipal commissioners’) doorsteps, they cannot just sit in their offices and pass the buck”.
The remarks came after the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) submitted an affidavit saying there were no periodic checks carried out by the fire department of the RMC at TRP Gamezone, and that there was no compliance with the safety measures in accordance with regulations. The affidavit also said that the West Zone town planning department was aware of the construction, which it ought to have inspected/visited to take further action. It also said no action had been taken despite a notice for demolition of the structure having been issued last year.
The court has kept the matter for further consideration on June 13.
Six people were named as accused in the FIR registered in connection with the fire, and five others were identified as accused later. All of them were booked for culpable homicide, not amounting to murder, among other sections of the IPC. Of the 11 accused, nine have been arrested, and one – Ashoksinh Jadeja – is absconding. Another named as accused, Prakashchand Hiran, died in the fire.
After the incident, the state government immediately transferred three Rajkot IPS officers, including police commissioner Raju Bhargav, and an IAS officer – the municipal commissioner of RMC, Anand Patel. Nine other officials from the RMC, the Road and Building Department, and Rajkot police have been placed under suspension.