Gujarat HC Takes Suo Motu Cognisance Of Fire At Game Zone

The Gujarat High Court, on Sunday, initiated suo motu proceedings regarding the fatal fire at TRP Game Zone in Rajkot, which claimed the lives of at least 27 people. The hearing took place before a division bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan M. Desai. The bench noted that the gaming zone was allegedly operating without the necessary permissions, leading to a preventable disaster that resulted in the deaths of innocent children and left families grieving.

The fire broke out on Saturday evening in the crowded two-story TRP Game Zone building, which housed around 300 people, including many children due to the summer vacation and weekend rush. Advocate Amit Panchal presented newspaper reports indicating that the gaming zone lacked proper approvals, particularly from the fire department, and argued that the authorities' negligence allowed the facility to operate unsafely. Advocate Brijesh Trivedi, representing the Bar Association, requested a judicial inquiry into the incident.

The Court expressed shock over the reports, which suggested that the gaming zone exploited regulatory loopholes to operate without necessary approvals. Additionally, reports indicated that other game zones in Ahmedabad also posed safety risks. Newspapers suggested that the Rajkot facility stored highly inflammable materials.

The Court directed the registry to treat the case as a Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation and requested Advocate Brijesh Trivedi to notify relevant municipal corporations and the Additional Advocate General of Gujarat. The Suo Moto petition was scheduled for further hearing on May 27, with the Court instructing panel advocates to explain the legal provisions allowing these facilities to operate and their compliance with fire safety regulations.

Advocate Amit Panchal also requested urgent consideration of a related civil application on fire safety, leading the Court to schedule both matters for hearing the next day.

Source: Live Law