Four days after the Rajkot TRP Game Zone fire killed 28 people, a court on Wednesday directed that a magisterial inquiry under Section 202 of the CrPC be conducted against former Rajkot Police commissioner Raju Bhargava, former municipal commissioner Anand Patel and 11 other officials, including the seven suspended in the aftermath of the incident. This was after city-based advocate Vinesh Chhaya moved a complaint before the court, seeking that the officials be booked for culpable homicide. After conducting a primary hearing, the court of B P Thaker, judicial magistrate (first class) of Rajkot, admitted Chhaya's complaint and ordered the Rajkot taluka police, in whose jurisdiction the TRP Game Zone was located, to conduct an inquiry and submit a report on June 20. Chhaya filed the complaint a day after the police commissioner and municipal commissioner, as well as two other IPS officers were transferred by the Gujarat government, alleging that their transfers was an admission of guilt. Chhaya filed a complaint seeking criminal proceedings against IPS officers Bhargava, Vidhi Choudhary, Sudhir Desai and IAS officer Anand Patel. Bhargava, Choudhary and Desai were commissioner, additional commissioner and deputy commissioner (zone 2) of Rajkot city police, respectively, before they were transferred on Monday. Likewise, Patel was the commissioner of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) but he too was transferred on Monday. The transfers had come two days after a massive fire broke out at TRP Game Zone on Nana Mava Road, killing 28 and injuring nine. Chhaya also appealed to the court that Rajkot chief fire officer Ilesh Kher, deputy chief fire officer Bhikha Theba, Kalavad Road fire station officer Rohit Vigora, RMC assistant engineer Jaydip Chaudhary, assistant town planner Gautam Joshi, police inspectors V R Patel and N I Rathod as well as roads and buildings (R&B) department engineers M R Suma and Paras Kothiya be also booked. In his complaint, the advocate noted that an FIR has been lodged at Rajkot taluka police station about the gaming zone fire on the basis of a complaint filed by Sub-Inspector Pragneshkumar Trajiya. “However, in the FIR, none of these accused have been booked and the reason for filing this complaint has arisen due to the written orders by the state government post the said FIR, suspending and transferring (these officers) due to their negligence,” Chhaya’s complaint stated. While the two engineers of the R&B department were suspended by the state government, the RMC engineer, assistant town planner and fire station officer were suspended by then RMC commissioner Anand Patel. The office of the director general of police had suspended two inspectors for alleged dereliction of duty and “utter careless”. Speaking to The Indian Express, Chhaya said, “The very fact that some of these officers have been suspended and transferred by the government following the incident of fire is an admission of guilt.” “When a police officer files a complaint, there is possibility of partiality. While acts done in good faith may not entail criminal liability but suspensions and transfers suggest something else. My objective is to draw the honourable court’s attention to these facts, go to the bottom of the causes of the incident and bring out the real number of victims,” he added. Meanwhile, the Rajkot Bar Association has decided to provide free legal assistance to the victims of the fire. Members of the association appeared on behalf of victims during production of the accused in court and hearing on remand applications on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. “The bar association has already adopted a resolution that none of its members will appear on behalf of the accused in this case. We have also decided to provide free legal services to victims. Senior members of the bar who are practising criminal law will appear on behalf of victims,” said Bakul Rajani, president of the Rajkot Bar Association.
