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Rajkot Gaming Zone fire: Why was municipal commissioner not suspended, asks Supreme Court

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The Gujarat High Court has raised serious concerns over the handling of the Rajkot wildfire incident in which 27 people tragically lost their lives. In a recent development, the court questioned the state government’s decision to suspend only junior officials and not the municipal commissioner in connection with the case. This scrutiny intensified further with the court demanding an explanation as to why Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was not applied.

Gujarat High Court Bar Association President Brijesh Trivedi stressed the court’s serious attitude towards the matter. “The court has taken the matter very seriously,” Trivedi said, highlighting the court’s issue regarding the different suspensions and the absence of a more stringent legal provision like Section 302 IPC.

A lawyer in the Rajkot district court also filed an application seeking inclusion of 13 more officials in the FIR in connection with the fire incident. This application, which has now been accepted by the court, has fixed a hearing date for June 20, underlining the active engagement of the judicial system in seeking accountability and justice.

The Gujarat state government had previously suspended seven officials for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with the tragic incident. Among them were police inspectors and employees of the Rajkot municipal administration.

The fire that broke out in a gaming zone in Rajkot on May 25 left 27 people, including children, dead. The main accused, identified as Dhaval Thakkar, was arrested by the Banaskantha Local Crime Branch and Rajkot Police. Thakkar, a resident of Abu Road, had fled the scene after the fire broke out.

In response to this incident, prompt regulatory action was taken by inspecting and temporarily closing all gaming zones in Vadodara. The ongoing investigation by the court and demand for accountability from various quarters underscore the gravity of this tragedy and the need for a thorough investigation and legal action.

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