Rajkot gaming zone was operating without fire license, lacked safety standards; HC takes suo motu cognisance

Rajkot's TRP Gaming Zone, where a massive fire broke out resulting in several casualties on Saturday (May 25), lacked safety standards at the facility and was operating without a no-objection certificate (NOC) for fire clearance, officials said further adding that it also had just one exit. A total of 28 people, including nine children, died in the tragic incident.

Some reports mentioned that the fire might have started due to a short circuit, but the reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained.

The owner of the gaming zone and two others were arrested on Saturday, and Raju Bhargava, the Police Commissioner of Rajkot, said that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against six people under IPC sections 304, 308, 336, 338, 114.

"The crime branch team is working to arrest others. Our effort is to complete the investigation as soon as possible and file a charge sheet in the case," Bhargava said.

Meanwhile, a special bench of the Gujarat High Court on Sunday took suo motu cognisance of the fire incident and said it was prima facie a "man-made disaster".

The bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai observed that such gaming zones and recreational facilities have come up without the necessary approvals from competent authorities.

"We are shocked to read newspaper reports which indicate that the gaming zone at Rajkot appears to have taken advantage of the loopholes in the Gujarat Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations (GDCR). These entertainment zones, as newspapers suggest, have come up without the necessary approvals from the competent authorities," the court observed.

The HC also wanted to know from the state government and the municipal corporations "whether such licenses, including the licenses to its use and compliance of fire safety regulations" were given to these respective (entertainment) zones that are in territorial jurisdiction of these corporations.

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In a post on X, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced that the state government will provide Rs 4 lakh (approx $ 4,800) to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 (approx $600) to the injured.

The chief minister also said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed and assigned to investigate the entire incident. The team was seen collecting samples from the incident spot.

(With inputs from agencies)