Fire Officer, Town Planning Officer Detained in Rajkot Gaming Zone Tragedy

In a major action in the Rajkot gaming zone fire that killed 27 people, including nine children, the police have detained a fire officer and the town planning officer for questioning. 

Town Planning Officer MD Sagathia and Fire Officer BJ Theba, both from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, were detained by the Rajkot Crime Branch on Wednesday afternoon. The officials are being interrogated and the key questions that will be asked of them are how the TRP Gaming Zone, where the tragedy occurred on Saturday, was operating only with an entertainment licence and without a no-objection certificate, an approved layout plan, building-use certificate and the proper fire clearances. 

Four owners of the establishment - Yuvrajsinh Solanki, Rahul Rathod, Dhaval Thakkar and Kiritsinh Jadeja - are among five people who have been arrested in the case and a fifth - Prakash Hiran - perished in the fire, a DNA test had revealed on Tuesday. The manager, Nitin Jain, is also in police custody. 

The accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code 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 (someone present when the offence is committed).

The chief of the special investigation team set up to probe the fire said that the team has been given the go-ahead to question even senior IAS and IPS officials if needed. 

Addressing the media after Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi met the team, the SIT chief, Subhash Trivedi, said, "We have been instructed to probe the roles of officers associated with Rajkot Municipal Corporation, fire department, police and power utility firm and take stern action if they are found guilty." 

"MoS Home (Sanghavi) has clearly told us to question even senior government employees, including IAS and IPS officials, if needed. In the coming days, they will be called by the SIT for the purpose of investigation. The SIT is also probing the role of each of the seven government employees, including two police officers, who have already been suspended," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

The Rajkot Police are investigating the case separately. 

On Monday, the Gujarat High Court had come down hard on the Rajkot Municipal Corportation. 

"This has been going on for two-and-a-half years (referring to the Rajkot gaming zone). Are we to assume you turned a blind eye? What do you and your followers do... Have you gone blind? Did you fall asleep? Now we do not trust the local system and the state," the bench had thundered. 

The Rajkot Municipal Commissioner, Anand Patel, and Police Commissioner, Raju Bhargava, have been transferred.