Rajkot, Jul 17 (PTI) A court on Thursday framed charges under various sections of the IPC, including those related to culpable homicide, against 15 persons, among them civic officials, in connection with the May 2024 TRP game zone fire in Rajkot city which claimed 27 lives.
The court of Additional Sessions Judge DS Singh framed the charges against 15 accused, including co-owners of the game zone, nearly 14 month after the tragedy in the Gujarat city, and all of them pleaded not guilty.
The not guilty plea means the case will go to trial, and the court posted the matter for further hearing on July 31.
The development comes nearly 10 days after the sessions court on July 7 rejected the discharge pleas filed by seven accused, including the then officials of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC).
As many as 27 people, including children, were charred to death after a massive fire engulfed TRP game zone in Rajkot city on May 25, 2024.
The charges were framed against the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder (304), attempt to commit culpable homicide (308), causing hurt by an act that endangers the life or personal safety of others (337).
They have also been charged under sections 338 (causing grievous hurt to a person by doing an act that endangers their life or personal safety) and 114 (someone present when the offence is committed) of the IPC.
Sections 465, 466, 471, 474, 120 (b), 201, 114 of the IPC, pertaining to forgery, destroying evidence, criminal conspiracy and abettor present when offence is committed, were also invoked against the arrested RMC employees.
A total of 16 persons were named as accused in the case, one of whom was later found dead in the same fire.
Police later arrested all the 15 accused, five of whom are now out on bail, while the others are lodged in Rajkot Central Jail.
Police filed a chargesheet against the accused persons nearly two months after the tragedy and had recorded statements of 365 witnesses.
As per the chargesheet, investigation revealed the fire spread and engulfed the entire structure within 3-4 minutes, aided by presence of highly inflammable construction materials at the facility such as foam sheet, plastic and wood.
Welding work was being carried out at the facility at the time of the tragedy. Foam sheets were being used as insulators for cooling which caused the fire to spread rapidly, said investigators.
The arrested persons included co-owners of the game zone Dhawal Thakkar, Yuvrajsinh Solanki, Rahul Rathod, Nitin Lodha, Ashok Jadeja and his brother Kiritsinh Jadeja as well as welding contractor Mahesh Rathod.
Police also arrested Rajkot’s then town planning officer M D Sagathia, then assistant TPOs Mukesh Makwana and Gautam Joshi, former station officer of Kalavad Road fire station Rohit Vigora, former assistant town planning officer Rajesh Makwana and ex-assistant engineer Jaideep Chaudhary.
According to police, the game zone was being operated without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the RMC’s fire department. PTI COR KA RSY
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