Employees tried to extinguish the fire that broke out at a game zone site, in Rajkot, Saturday, May 25.
Credit: PTI Photo
Ahmedabad: Prakash Hiran, one of the owners of the TRP gaming zone in Rajkot, reportedly died in the fire that broke out on Saturday evening, killing a total of 28 people including seven children.
Rajkot police commissioner Brajesh Kumar Jha confirmed that Hiran, who was missing since the fire incident, died in inferno. Another senior police officer said that the samples taken from the remains collected from the scene matched with the DNA of Hiran's mother.
Earlier, Hiran's brother Jitendra had filed an application with the local police, claiming that his brother was missing as he was not reachable on his phones while his car found parked at the gaming zone.
Hiran is reported to be the principal shareholder in the TRP game zone and his named figured as one of the six accused. A police official said that CCTV footage had showed his presence at the scene.
The police on Tuesday arrested Dhaval Thakkar, the proprieter of Dhaval Corporation, one of the two firms which were running the recreational facility. He was arrested from Abu Road in neighbouring Rajasthan. The other three arrested accused are Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, business partners in Raceway Enterprise, the second firm running the gaming zone, and Nitin Jain, the manager of the zone.
Local sources said that the game zone was one of the most happening places in the city where many senior officers in the district administration were regulars. Pictures of these senior officers attending its inauguration, holding birthday parties, are being circulated while questioning how the facility ran without requisite permission.
Meanwhile, union minister Parshottam Rupala visited Rajkot civil hospital. Rupala, who contested from Rajkot parliamentary seat, was being criticised for not visiting the city soon after the incident.
After his visit, he said that 17 victims' have been identified and their bodies have been handed to their families. The bodies were charred beyond recognition and their DNA samples had been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory, Gandhinagar for identification along with their family members.