Rajkot fire: One more partner of game zone arrested; 9 bodies identified

The Gujarat police have arrested one more partner of the Rajkot-based TRP game zone where a devastating fire last week killed 27 persons, an official said on Tuesday (May 28).

Dhaval Thakkar, the proprietor of Dhaval Corporation, which ran the TRP game zone along with five partners of Raceway Enterprises, was arrested from Abu Road in neighbouring Rajasthan, Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said.

With this, four persons have so far been arrested in connection with the fire incident at the game zone on Saturday (May 25).

"Thakkar was arrested from Abu Road in a joint operation carried out by the Rajkot and Banaskantha police last night," Makwana said.

The police had earlier arrested Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, partners in the Raceway Enterprises, and game zone manager Nitin Jain. They were on Monday (May 27) sent to 14-day police custody by a court in Rajkot.

FIR against 6 persons

The police have registered an FIR against six persons - Thakkar, Solanki, Rathod, and Raceway Enterprises partners Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, and Prakashchand Hiran - in connection with the fire incident.

They have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by an act that endangers the life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt to a person by doing an act that endangers their life or personal safety), and 114 (someone present when offence is committed).

The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a probe into the incident and announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹4 lakh to the kin of each deceased. The central government has also announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person.

9 bodies identified by DNA analysis

The identities of nine bodies recovered from the fire-ravaged TRP Game Zone in Rajkot have been established through DNA analysis, said Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi on Monday (May 27).

As many as 27 persons, including children, were killed in a massive fire at the recreation centre on May 25. Since the bodies were charred beyond recognition, the state government is taking the help of a forensic science lab to identify the victims through DNA profiling.

Time-consuming process

As the process is time-consuming, several anxious families waiting outside the Rajkot civil hospital to collect the bodies of their kin got into a heated argument with local police on Monday (May 27).

Sanghavi visited the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar and announced that it has so far identified nine victims by matching their DNA samples with the samples of their relatives.

“I can understand the anger of the families who have lost their loved ones. FSL is also working round the clock. The entire FSL staff have cancelled their holidays and other travel plans so that all the samples are analysed as early as possible. I have reviewed the progress and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is also taking updates every hour,” Sanghavi told reporters.

“Since it was impossible to collect blood samples from the charred bodies, forensic experts have collected bone samples to match the DNA of the deceased and their relatives,” said Sanghavi.

Samples transferred by air ambulance

“It would have taken nearly four hours if samples were brought to Gandhinagar by road. To expedite the DNA matching process, the CM ordered the deployment of an air ambulance” he said.

The minister said the process of matching DNA started at FSL early on Sunday morning (May 26) and a team of 18 forensic experts has been working round the clock since then so that the bodies can be handed over to their relatives after identification.

“This process is lengthy and it involves nine steps. Blood samples of relatives are matched with blood or bone samples of the deceased for matching DNA. Usually, each sample analysis would take nearly 48 hours,” said the minister.

“Till now, nine dead bodies have been identified. Eight samples are currently under analysis. We will inform the relatives as soon as reports arrive,” he added.

(With agency inputs)