FIR Against 6 Partners Of Rajkot Game Zone After Massive Blaze, 2 Arrested

An FIR has been filed against six partners of a game zone in Gujarat's Rajkot on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and two people have been arrested after a massive fire killed 27 people on Saturday, officials said.

Yuvrajsinh Solanki, a partner in the Raceway Enterprise, which operated the TRP game zone, and the entertainment facility's manager Nitin Jain have been arrested, Rajkot Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Parthrajsinh Gohil said.

The local police in November 2023 granted a booking license to the gaming zone, which was renewed for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2024, Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava said.

"The game zone received permissions from the roads and buildings department and submitted a proof of fire safety equipment to obtain the fire NOC which was under process but wasn't complete," the official said.

The game zone had fire safety equipment but the action taken to control the blaze was insufficient, leading to the tragedy on Saturday, he said.

Twenty-seven people, including four children, were killed and three others injured in the massive fire that swept through the TRP game zone in the Nana Mava locality teeming with people enjoying a summer vacation outing on Saturday evening, officials earlier said.

The accused erected a 50-metre-wide and 60-metre-long structure that was around two to three stories tall using metal sheet fabrication to create a game zone, the FIR said.

They did not have proper fire fighting equipment and had not obtained the no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department, thereby endangering the lives of people despite knowing that a blaze in such a structure could cause deaths and injuries, said the FIR.

The six accused against whom the case was registered are Dhaval Corporation's proprietor, Dhaval Thakkar, and partners of Raceway Enterprise Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, Prakashchand Hiran, Yuvrajsinh Solanki, and Rahul Rathod, as per the FIR.

The case was registered against six identified persons and others whose names were revealed during the investigation, it said.

The accused have been charged under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by an act that endangers 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 (someone present when offence is committed) of the Indian Penal Code, as per the FIR.

Four different teams of the crime branch have been formed to arrest the four missing accused, Mr Bhargava said.

The investigation has been handed over to the crime branch and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Rajkot police headed by Joint Additional Commissioner of Police Vidhi Chaudhary, he said.

Notably, the Gujarat government also formed a five-member SIT, headed by state Additional Director General of Police Subhash Trivedi, to investigate the incident.

"All our efforts will be to complete the investigation and file a chargesheet at the earliest. For this, a forensic science laboratory (FSL) team has reached here from Gandhinagar, and all other required actions will be taken... We have also asked the state government to appoint a special public prosecutor," Mr Bhargava said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the incident site this morning and the hospital where the injured are being treated.

The Chief Minister announced Rs 4 lakh will be given as aid to the families of each of the victims and Rs 50,000 to each injured.