Gujarat game zone fire tragedy: ACB begins probe against arrested officials, seizes documents

Rajkot: The Gujarat Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday launched an inquiry against the officials held in connection with the May 25 Rajkot game zone fire tragedy, which killed 27 persons including children, and seized documents from their homes and offices following searches.

The probe is in the preliminary stage and nothing incriminating has been found in the searches carried out so far, said KH Gohil, the ACB's assistant director for Rajkot region.

The ACB stepped in to probe the incident after the Rajkot police on Thursday arrested Rajkot's Town Planning Officer (TPO) MD Sagathia, assistant TPOs Mukesh Makwana and Gautam Joshi and former station officer of the Kalavad Road Fire Station Rohit Vigora. Joshi and Vigora are among the nine officials who were suspended after the state government held them responsible for ''gross negligence in allowing the game zone to operate without necessary approvals''.

''The entire process has been kept secret and the media will be informed after we find concrete evidence against the accused. We are conducting a free and fair probe. Searches were conducted at offices and residential premises and documents were also seized. I want to assure you the ACB will not spare the guilty,'' said Gohil.

The Gujarat High Court had, on Monday, slammed the Rajkot Municipal Corporation over the fire, saying it did not have faith in the state machinery which gets into action only after innocent lives are lost.

The court's admonishment came after the RMC's lawyer submitted that the ill-fated TRP Game Zone, located in the city's Nana-Mava locality, had not sought requisite permissions from the civic body.