Rajkot gaming zone fire: Gujarat HC comes down heavily on state admin, says 'we don't trust govt'
Rajkot gaming zone fire: Gujarat High Court on Monday came down heavily on the state government over the lapses in the Rajkot gaming zone fire. The development comes two days after a gaming zone in Rajkot caught fire, killing 28 people, including nine children.
The court was furious when it found that two gaming zones had been operating without permits, including fire safety certificates, for more than 24 months, and said it could no longer "trust" the state government, which is controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.
This came after the Rajkot Municipal Body stated in court that "our approval was not taken." "This has been going on for two and a half years [referring to the Rajkot gaming zone]. Are we to assume that you turned a blind eye? What do you and your followers do?" The court stated.
The Rajkot gaming zone was granted a licence by local cops in November of last year, which was renewed until December 31, 2024, according to Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava.
The Rajkot municipal body's hearing took a turn for the worse when photographs emerged of officials at the gaming zone. "Who were the officers? "Did they go there to play?" the court inquired.
The court also criticised the state government. "Have you gone blind? Did you fall asleep? Now we do not trust the local system and the state," the court raged when informed that fire safety certification hearings had gone unresolved for four years.
Advocate Manisha Luv Kumar Shah, representing the state government, also acknowledged that two other gaming zones in Ahmedabad did not have permission to operate, and stated that a special team had been formed to investigate all such issues and submit a report within 72 hours.
This includes mini-gaming zones inside malls, according to the court, for a total of 34 in the city, three of which lack a no-objection certificate from the fire department, which is required.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat government suspended seven officials, including two police inspectors and Rajkot Municipal Corporation civic staff, for dereliction of duty in connection with a fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot that killed 28 people.
Suspended officers are Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) town planning department assistant engineer Jaideep Chaudhary, assistant town planner for RMC Gautam Joshi, Rajkot Roads and Buildings department's deputy executive engineer HR Suma, Assistant Engineer Road and Building Department of RMC Parsbhai M Kothiya, Station Officer of Fire and Emergency Services of Rajkot Municipal Corporation, Rohit Vigora and police inspectors VR Patel and NI Rathod.
- PTC NEWS
