Gujarat government suspends seven officials over deadly Rajkot gaming zone fire

In response to the tragic fire incident at a gaming zone in Rajkot that claimed 27 lives, the Gujarat government has ordered the suspension of seven officials, including two police inspectors and staff members of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC). The suspensions, effective as of Monday, May 27, stem from accusations of dereliction of duty.

The suspended officials are Jaideep Chaudhary, assistant engineer in the RMC town planning department; Gautam Joshi, assistant town planner for RMC; HR Suma, deputy executive engineer in Rajkot Roads and Buildings department; Parsbhai M. Kothiya, assistant engineer in the Road and Building Department of RMC; Rohit Vigora, Station Officer of Fire and Emergency Services of Rajkot Municipal Corporation; and police inspectors VR Patel and NI Rathod. These actions were taken by the respective departments in response to the officials' gross negligence in permitting the gaming zone to operate without the necessary approvals, according to a government release.

The tragic fire broke out on May 25 at the TRP Game Zone. In the wake of the disaster, a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team conducted an on-site investigation to determine the cause and contributing factors.

Further legal actions have been initiated, with an FIR filed against six individuals, including Yuvraj Hari Singh Solanki, the owner of TRP Game Zone, and manager Nitin Jain, among others, at the Rajkot Taluka Police Station. This legal action is part of the broader effort to ensure accountability and justice for the victims of this preventable tragedy.

Also read: Himanta Biswa Sarma warns of Cyclone Remal's impact in Assam; NDRF & SDRF teams on standby