AHMEDABAD: In the aftermath of the devastating fire at the TRP gaming zone in Rajkot that claimed the lives of 28 individuals including children, the Gujarat High Court on Monday, came down heavily on the city's municipal body for its failure to certify the structure.
Expressing its disillusionment, the High Court conveyed a lack of faith in the state machinery that reacts only after innocent lives are lost.
The court reprimanded the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, questioning whether it had turned a blind eye to such a big structure coming up in its vicinity. This came after the RMC's lawyer admitted that the TRP game zone did not have the necessary permissions.
A special bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai was hearing a suo motu PIL regarding the game zone fire incident.
The counsel emphasized that the tragic incident demanded immediate preventive and corrective measures, urging the state government to take responsibility and implement drastic actions.
"Who will take such drastic steps? Frankly, we no longer have faith in the state machinery. Four years after our orders and their assurances, this is the sixth incident that has occurred. They only act after lives are lost," the court remarked.
In response to the RMC counsel's claim that the game zone had not applied for the necessary permissions, the court questioned whether the civic body was oblivious to such a large structure existing within its jurisdiction.
"Were you blind to the existence of this large structure? How do you explain that the entire zone has existed for the last two-and-a-half years? What fire safety measures were applied? Were you aware of the entertainment tax when ticketing was done? Are you completely turning a blind eye to the whole issue?" the court asked.
The court also inquired when the corporation first acknowledged the existence of the game zone.
"Were you completely unaware of such a structure until then? Were you not informed about this court's fire safety orders issued in a PIL? What were you doing during that time?" the court asked.
The situation worsened for the Rajkot municipal body during the hearing when photographs were submitted to the court showing corporation officials present at the gaming zone inauguration.
"Who were these officers? Were they there for play? Can we not take judicial notice of that fact? For 18 months, what did the corporation do? Just sit on it?" the bench questioned.
The court further noted that every municipal commissioner, starting from the establishment of the TRP game zone in 2021 up to the time of the incident, "should be held responsible for the tragedy." It instructed them to provide individual affidavits.
"The state should not witness innocent lives lost in fires like this," the court further remarked.
The court instructed the current RMC commissioner and officials who held the position of municipal commissioner from July 2021 until the date of the incident to submit affidavits in this regard. The affidavits should address various concerns, including certificates regarding the structural stability of such constructions.
The court also directed the chief fire officers of the Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot municipal corporations to provide affidavits concerning fire safety measures within their jurisdictions. This includes details such as the installation of fire hydrants, inspection of fire safety equipment, and verification of licenses obtained from respective collectorates or mamlatdars.
The blaze at the TRP game zone in Rajkot's Nana-Mava area claimed the lives of 28 individuals, including children, on Saturday evening.
Officials stated that the game zone was operating without a fire NOC (no objection certificate).
On Monday, the Gujarat state government also suspended five officials from various departments, including two police inspectors, for negligence in the fire tragedy.
