Rajkot Gaming Zone fire case: Gujarat High Court grants bail to three, dismisses pleas of five others

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Thursday granted bail to three accused in the Rajkot-based TRP mall game zone case while dismissing applications of five other co-accused including the then chief fire officer, town planning officer and business partners of the game zone.

The single bench of justice M R Mengdey granted bail to the then assistant town planner, Rajesh Makwana who is facing an allegation of creating forged documents, Jaydip Choudhary, who was then working as an Assistant Engineer and was booked for failing to demolish the unauthorized structure (the game zone) and Gautam Joshi, the then assistant town planner.

However, the court denied bail to Ilesh Kher, the then chief fire officer, Ashok Jadeja, the land owner and partner of the Game Zone, Kirit Jadeja, partner of Tthe RP game zone and owner of the Go-Karting area within the zone, and Mansukh Sagathiya, the then Town Planning Officer.

27 persons including children were killed in a massive fire which engulfed the popular gaming zone being run from TRP mall in Rajkot on May 25 last year.

The police in its voluminous chargesheet accused 15 persons behind the tragic incident and said that the blaze spread and engulfed the gaming zone in less than five minutes due to highly inflammable construction materials which were lying there.

Investigation revealed that the gaming zone didn't have the required NOC and other permission for running the recreational activities.

The accused persons were booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, causing hurt by an act that endangers lives or personal safety of others, among other charges.