‘Man-made disaster’: Gujarat HC takes suo motu cognizance of Rajkot game zone fire

Two held; facility didn’t have fire NOC’

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A special bench of the Gujarat High Court took suo motu cognizance of the fire incident at a game zone in Rajkot, which resulted in 28 fatalities, labelling it as a "manmade disaster". The bench, comprising Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai, noted that such gaming zones and recreational facilities have been established without the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities.

Following the tragic fire, which claimed the lives of several children, the owner partner of the TRP game zone in Rajkot and its manager were arrested on charges of culpable homicide. It was revealed that the facility was operating without a fire NOC.

Despite having fire safety equipment, the measures taken to control the fire were inadequate, leading to the tragedy on Saturday, as stated by a senior police officer on Sunday.

Earlier, the court ordered the advocates of the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot to appear before it on Monday. They are to provide instructions regarding the legal provisions under which these units were allowed to be established or continue to operate within their jurisdictions.

The bench observed that a stock of highly inflammable materials such as petrol, fibres, and fibreglass sheets were stored at the facility. "We are shocked to read newspaper reports which indicate that the gaming zone at Rajkot appears to have taken advantage of the loopholes in the Gujarat Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations (GDCR). These entertainment zones, as newspapers suggest, have come up without the necessary approvals from the competent authorities," the court observed. The court also sought information from the state government and the municipal corporations regarding the licences, including the licences for its use and compliance with fire safety regulations, given to these respective (entertainment) zones within the territorial jurisdiction of these corporations.