TRP Game zone fire: Statements of 37 witnesses, partnership deed among key evidence in chargeseet

“To ensure that the case holds during the trial, even if witnesses turn hostile, we have got statements of 37 key witnesses recorded by the magistrate under CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) Section 164 and appended them to the chargesheet,” he added.

A massive fire had broken out at TRP Game Zone, a private amusement park on Nana Mava Road of Rajkot on May 25, The blaze had ripped through a three-storey-tall tin shed housing indoor gaming facilities, killing 27, including Prakashchand Hiran alias Prakash Jain, one of the owners of the gaming zone.

The 37 key witnesses include at least three who survived the inferno, employees of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC), kin of the 27 victims, people living in the vicinity of the TRP Game Zone and some employees of the gaming zone.

“One of these 37 star witnesses is a young man who was welding steel sheets… sparks caused by the welding work led to the fire. The welder had told Mahesh (Mahesh Rathod was given the contract to build a snow park at the game zone) more than once to not do welding work when the gaming zone was open to the public. However, the contractor didn’t pay heed to his words and instead, asked him to mind his business,” Gohil said.

“Statements recorded by the magistrate are admissible as evidence during trial and stand even if the witnesses turn hostile during deposition,” he added.

An SIT officer said that besides these 37 prosecution witnesses, chances of other key witnesses turning hostile are slim. “In a number of cases, panch witnesses turn hostile during trial. However, such possibility is distinct in this case as around 90 per cent of our panch witnesses who witnessed the examination of the crime scene are government employees,” the officer added.

In all, the chargesheet lists 365 people as prosecution witnesses.

Police had booked Hiran and five other owners of the game zone – Dhaval Thakkar, Yuvrajsinh Solanki, brothers Ashoksinh Jadeja and Kiritsinh Jadeja and Rahul Rathod – among others in the case. Later on, the five owners and game zone manager Nitin Lodha alias Nitin Jain, were arrested. Subsequently, eight RMC officials, including chief fire officer Ilesh Kher, his deputy Bhikha Theba and town planner M D Sagathiya were also arrested.

As per the chargesheet, the case relies heavily on the partnership deed executed by Hiran, Solanki, the Jadeja brothers and Rathod for setting up Raceway Enterprise and its financial dealings with Dhaval Corporation, a proprietorship firm owned by Thakkar.

“We have got the original copy of the registered partnership deed of Raceway Enterprise. Also, banking transactions between Raceway Enterprise and Dhaval Corporation establish that the two firms were jointly running TRP Game Zone,” the SIT officer said.