The Gujarat government has taken decisive action following the tragic fire incident at a gaming zone in Rajkot, which claimed the lives of 27 individuals, including children. In response, six Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, including the Police Commissioner of Rajkot, have been transferred.
Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava has been replaced by IPS officer Brijesh Kumar Jha. Additionally, Vidhi Choudhary, Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration, Traffic, and Crime) Rajkot City, and Sudhirkumar J Desai, DCP-Zone 2, Rajkot, have also been transferred, as per the government notification.
Furthermore, the Gujarat government has transferred Rajkot Municipal Commissioner Anand Patel, appointing DP Desai, the current CEO of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), as his replacement.
These high-profile transfers come in the wake of strong criticism from the Gujarat High Court, which questioned whether the authorities turned a blind eye to the construction of such a large structure near residential areas. The court held all Rajkot municipal commissioners accountable for the tragedy and directed them to submit individual affidavits.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the state machinery's response, the court lamented that necessary actions are only taken after tragic incidents occur.
In addition to the transfers, the Gujarat government has suspended seven officials in connection with the fire tragedy, including personnel from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation's town planning department and the Roads and Buildings department, as well as police inspectors.
The fire at the TRP game zone in Rajkot's Nana-Mava locality prompted the state to announce an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each deceased victim, with the Central government also offering Rs 2 lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of each deceased person.
