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'Were you asleep?': Gujarat high court slams state govt over Rajkot game zone fire, say reports
The fire at the TRP game zone in the Nana-Mava locality of Rajkot on Saturday evening killed 28 persons, including children.
The Gujarat High Court on Monday rapped the state government over the massive fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot, which killed 28 persons, including four children.
During the hearing, after the court was apprised that two gaming zones had been operating in the city for the last two years without required permits, including fire safety certificates, it said that it could no longer "trust" the state government, reported NDTV.
"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?" the court remarked.
It further criticised the Rajkot Municipal Corporation after photographs showed officials at the gaming zone.
"Who were these officers? Did they go there to play?" the court asked, according to NDTV. "
It further questioned the BJP-led state government, saying: “Have you gone blind? Did you fall asleep? Now we do not trust the local system and the state.”
Also Read | Rajkot gaming zone fire: CCTV camera footage shows how blaze started
The fire at the TRP game zone in the Nana-Mava locality of Rajkot on Saturday evening killed 28 persons, including children.
According to the police, the blaze might have started due to welding work in the gaming zone.
The Rajkot Police has registered a first information report (FIR) against six partners of the game zone on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Two of them have been arrested, while the others remain absconding.
The six individuals against whom the case was registered by the Rajkot taluka police in the wee hours of Sunday are Dhaval Corporation proprietor Dhaval Thakkar, Raceway Enterprise partners Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, Prakashchand Hiran, Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, as per the FIR.
Solanki, a partner in the Raceway Enterprise, which operated the TRP game zone has been arrested. The entertainment facility's manager Nitin Jain have also been held.
The six accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code 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 offense is committed), as per the FIR.
Also Read | Newly married couple among 28 killed in fire at Rajkot gaming zone
The Central government has announced that the families of each deceased person will receive an ex gratia payment of ₹2 lakh from the PM's National Relief Fund.
Additionally, the Prime Minister's Office said that ₹50,000 would be given to each injured person. The Gujarat government has also declared an ex-gratia amount of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured in the tragic incident.
