Gujarat HC: Gaming Zone Disaster Man-Made

 Gujarat: Police in Gujarat's Rajkot city have registered an FIR against six partners of a game zone following a tragic fire that claimed 27 lives. Two individuals have been arrested. The gaming zone had been granted a booking licence and renewed permissions but lacked a completed fire safety clearance. Despite possessing fire safety equipment, the measures to control the blaze were deemed insufficient. Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Nitin Jain, associated with Raceway Enterprise, which operated the TRP game zone, have been arrested. Rajkot taluka police have booked six persons for culpable homicide not amounting to murder including Dhaval Corporation proprietor Dhaval Thakkar, Raceway Enterprise partners Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, Prakashchand Hiran, Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, as per the FIR.

A special bench of the Gujarat High Court took suo motu cognizance of the incident. Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai termed it a "man-made disaster" and noted that such entertainment facilities had sprung up without necessary approvals. The court directed municipal corporations from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot to appear on Monday and provide explanations regarding the establishment and operation of these units under their jurisdiction.

Members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) convened a meeting with local authorities early Sunday. The bodies, charred beyond recognition, prompted DNA samples to be collected for identification. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the site and hospitalised victims. The SIT, formed by the state government, aims to investigate and report within 72 hours. President Murmu and Vice-President Dhankhar also offered sympathies. The CM announced compensation, and police have ordered the inspection and closure of gaming zones lacking fire safety permissions statewide.