In 2020, a fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit of a designated Covid hospital in Gujarat’s Rajkot. Five people died, even though a fire brigade was just 300 metres away. Reports at the time pointed at a flouting of fire safety norms, including a blocked emergency exit.

The incident led the Supreme Court to reprimand the Gujarat government and mandate the implementation of stringent safety regulations.

Yet four years later, enforcement by the state remains lax, and the recent fire at a gaming centre in Rajkot epitomises this systemic failure. Thirty-three people, including nine children, died at TRP Game Zone on May 25 in what the Gujarat High Court called a “man-made disaster”. The state’s official death toll is 27.

The facility ignored almost every rule essential for public safety, making the disaster almost inevitable. It was developed as a “temporary structure”, operating out of a tin shed. As such, it did not qualify for building regulations or capacity rules. Welding work was in progress to extend its space but the facility remained open to the public at reduced rates to attract more visitors. 

Additionally, nearly 2,000 litres of diesel for generators and 1,500 litres of petrol for go-karting was stored at various locations on-site. The facility contained wooden logs, thermocol, cylinders and at least 20 air conditioners, their compressors dangling precariously. As a temporary structure, it did not have a no-objection certificate from the fire department and contained only one entry and exit.

As is the case with most other entertainment venues, customers had to sign legal documents waiving their rights to sue in case of injury and accident.

The story of TRP Game Zone isn’t an isolated one. According to a senior officer with the Rajkot municipal police, over a dozen similar establishments in Rajkot and more than 100 across the state operate without an NOC certificate from the fire department or structural clearance from the municipal corporation. In the wake of the tragedy, the Gujarat government ordered their closure.

But for families of victims, it’s too little too late. 

As Ravindrasing Jadeja, whose twelve-year-old son was killed in the fire, said, “If the government, police commissioner, and fire officer had no clue about the illegal operations, why was the public allowed in the building?”

‘Gross negligence’

Fire safety regulations in India are detailed in the National Building Code, which lays out extensive guidelines for the construction, maintenance and fire safety of all buildings. State governments manage the enforcement of these regulations, delegating to municipal corporations and other administrations through legislations like the State Fire Services Act and Building Bylaws.

Yet a 2020 study by the National Institute of Disaster Management reveals that these regulations are not adequately implemented in urban areas, leading to a higher risk of fires, particularly in informal settlements that often lack fire safety provisions.

These lapses were evident in the Rajkot case. The temporary building was 50 metres in width and 60 metres in length, standing two storeys high. Its capacity limit is unclear since it’s a temporary structure, but an employee of TRP Game Zone told Newslaundry there were “at least 200 people” inside when the fire broke out.

The structure itself was built with metal sheets. It did not have sufficient firefighting equipment installed and lacked an NOC from the fire safety department.

After the tragedy, Rajkot police commissioner Raju Bhargava claimed the establishment had applied for a fire NOC a few months before the tragedy. But the city’s chief fire officer, IV Kher, told Newslaundry this was not the case.

“The application was never submitted and thus no inspection was conducted,” Kher said. “The building operated illegally with the permission of the local police, who report to the state government unlike the fire department that reports to the municipal commissioner.”

Bhargava was transferred a day after the fire. A senior officer in the Rajkot police department alleged Bhargava himself had renewed the gaming zone’s licence even though it did not have a fire NOC. Bhargava did not respond to Newslaundry’s multiple requests for comment. 

The Gujarat government transferred five other IPS officers too, including additional commissioner of police (administration, traffic and crime) Vidhi Choudhary, DCP (zone 2) Sudhirkumar J Desai, and Rajkot municipal commissioner Anand Patel.

It also suspended seven officials for dereliction of duty: Jaideep Chaudhary, assistant engineer at Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s town planning department; Gautam Joshi, assistant town planner, RMC; MR Suma and Paras Kothiya, deputy executive engineers with the Rajkot roads and buildings department; Rohit Vigora, station officer of the RMC’s fire and emergency services; and police inspectors VR Patel and NI Rathod.

The state government said its investigation found “gross negligence” in allowing the gaming zone to operate without necessary approvals.

‘These are murders’

So far, 17 victims have been identified after DNA tests and their bodies handed over to their families. The establishment’s co-owner, Prakashchand Hiran, is among the dead. Over 15 people are still missing.

Devikaba Jadeja, who lost her 14-year-old sister Devarshi in the fire, described to Newslaundry how her sister’s charred body was removed from the gaming zone. 

“My sister wore a new dress that day, excited to have fun,” she said. “She was so happy when she left the house. Seeing her like that, charred and lifeless – it’s a sight that will haunt me forever. We trusted that such a structure would have all safety measures in place, otherwise how could it run? I am scared of breaking any safety rule yet these private agencies operate without any fear of the system and government.”

Ravindrasing Jadeja, whose son was killed, had five family members at TRP Game Zone that day. He said he sent his family because of the reduced rates.

“That day, the rates were reduced to Rs 99. My son was so excited to go,” he said. “It was supposed to be a fun day out but it turned into our worst nightmare. It took over 48 hours for doctors to confirm his identity among the charred bodies. His body was beyond recognition. We do not pay taxes to die. We elect the government and they choose an administration. Such deaths are not natural; they are murders by powerful people who do not value poor lives.”

He drew parallels with the 2022 Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat, which killed 141 people.

“The Morbi tragedy killed hundreds and the Gujarat government promised strict punishment. Yet when the Supreme Court granted bail to the owner, the government’s lawyer did not even oppose it,” he said, referring to the release of industrialist Jaysukh Patel in March 2024. Patel was the ninth accused in the case to get bail.

He continued, “These criminals, who don’t care about the lives of the poor, don’t take the government seriously. They know they will be out in no time as they are powerful and rich. This is the reason the common man does not trust the government. I did not choose the police commissioner but I chose my state government. It is their responsibility to ensure our kids don’t die a brutal death because they could not care enough about the lives of poor people.”

Ravindrasing added, “Will the chief minister, whom I voted for, bring back my son? I do not need financial assistance. If any of the culprits get bail, I will kill them.”

Update at 8.45 pm on May 30

Before applying to a municipal corporation for regularisation, property owners of multi-storey complexes must obtain 100 percent approval from all members, whether the building is residential or commercial.

Under the Gujarat Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Act of 2022, over 7,000 property owners in Rajkot city applied to regularise their unauthorised constructions by paying an impact fee, which is a one-time payment.

Sources within the Rajkot Municipal Corporation told this reporter that TRP Gaming Zone contacted the town planning officer in November 2023 over an impact fee. However, the RMC rejected the request in May 2024 citing nine major rule violations, including the absence of a fire NOC.

Despite being aware of these violations, the RMC allowed the facility to continue to operate and even expand its space before the tragedy took place. A key figure in this process was the town planning officer, who reports to the RMC, which in turn reports to the urban development and urban housing department headed by the chief minister.

Today, the town planning officer of Rajkot, MD Sagathia, was questioned for hours by a police SIT. His premises were also raided by the state Anti-Corruption Bureau. Additionally, a Rajkot court directed a magisterial inquiry, under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, against former Rajkot police commissioner Raju Bhargava, former municipal commissioner Anand Patel, and 11 others, including the seven officials suspended after the fire.

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