Police reported on Sunday that they have arrested two employees of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) for allegedly altering documents related to a game zone where a fire last month resulted in the deaths of 27 people.
They said a total of 12 individuals, including six government employees, have now been arrested in connection with the incident at the TRP game zone in Rajkot city, Gujarat, on May 25.
On Saturday, the city crime branch arrested Rajesh Makwana, RMC’s assistant town planning officer, and Jaideep Chaudhary, assistant engineer, for allegedly modifying an official register following the fire incident, stated Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime, Parthrajsinh Gohil.
“We have arrested six government employees and six other individuals linked to the TRP game zone fire,” stated Gohil.
Earlier, police arrested four government employees: Rajkot’s Town Planning Officer MD Sagathia, assistant TPOs Mukesh Makwana and Gautam Joshi, and former station officer of Kalavad Road fire station Rohit Vigora.
One of the owners of the game zone, Ashoksinh Jadeja, turned himself in to the police on Thursday evening.
Jadeja is among the six owners of the TRP game zone. Five of them have been arrested so far, and one died in the fire on May 25. Additionally, a manager of the game zone has been arrested in connection with the case.
During the investigation into the incident, police confirmed that one of the co-owners of the game zone, Prakash Hiran, who was mentioned in the FIR and had been missing since the tragedy, died in the fire. He was inside the facility when it was engulfed in flames.
What did the CCTV Footage show about Rajkot Fire
CCTV footage revealed that the fire began when sparks from welding work ignited thermocol (polystyrene) sheets on the ground floor. Workers at the scene attempted to put out the fire with fire extinguishers, but it rapidly spread and eventually consumed the game zone.
Police stated that the game zone was running without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the RMC’s fire department. Following the Rajkot incident, authorities sealed numerous game zones and recreation centers across the state. FIRs were also lodged against the owners for operating these facilities without the necessary permissions.
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