A Rajkot district and sessions court rejected the regular bail pleas of four accused, including three suspended civic officials, in the May 25 TRP Game Zone fire tragedy in the city, which claimed 27 lives.
The court of additional sessions judge ES Singh rejected the bail pleas of suspended chief fire officer Ilesh Kher, suspended assistant town planning officers Gautam Joshi and Rajesh Makwana as well as Ashok Jadeja. Four out of 13 accused in the case had moved pleas for regular bail.
Special public prosecutor Tushar Gokani told the court that there was strong scientific and documentary evidence against the accused persons that were supported by the forensic science laboratory findings. In his submission, Gokani also said certain witnesses who were present at the spot were susceptible to the accused as they were small vendors.
The city crime branch, which investigated the case, has said the fire spread and engulfed the entire structure within 3-4 minutes aided by highly inflammable construction materials such as foam sheet used as insulators for cooling, plastic and wood.
CCTV camera footage of the incident showed the fire started after sparks fell on thermocol (polystyrene) sheets during welding work on the ground floor. Though workers present there tried to douse the blaze with fire extinguishers, it spread quickly and eventually engulfed the game zone.
The accused were arrested 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 the 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 offence is committed).
The police also invoked IPC sections 465, 466, 471, 474, 120 (b), 201, 114, pertaining to forgery, destroying evidence, criminal conspiracy and abettor present when offence is committed, against the arrested Rajkot Municipal Corporation employees. They have been chargesheeted for offences that attract a jail term of a maximum of 10 years.
Apart from these four, the other arrested are co-owners of the game zone Dhawal Thakkar, Yuvrajsinh Solanki, Rahul Rathod, Nitin Lodha and Kiritsinh Jadeja, welding contractor Mahesh Rathod, suspended town planning officer MD Sagathia, assistant TPOs Mukesh Makwana, former station officer of Kalavad Road fire station Rohit Vigora, assistant town planning officer Rajesh Makwana and assistant engineer Jaideep Chaudhary.
According to police, the game zone was being operated without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the municipal corporation’s fire department.
Also Read: Three Adani Firms Join WEF’s ‘Transitioning Industrial Clusters’ Initiative
