Main accused in TRP game zone fire arrested

The main accused in the Rajkot-based TRP game zone fire which killed at least 27 people, including several children, has been arrested by Gujarat police.

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 neighboring Rajasthan, Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said, as reported by Business Standard. 

With the latest arrest, four people have been arrested so far in connection with the fire incident at the game zone that occurred on May 25.

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

Thakkar is said to have been hiding at a relative’s place in Abu Road in Rajasthan

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

An FIR was lodged against six persons - Thakkar, Solanki, Rathod, and Raceway Enterprises partners Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja and Prakashchand Hiran - in connection with the game zone fire.

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).

According to the FIR, the accused erected the game zone as high as a three-story building using metal sheet fabrication with no proper firefighting equipment and had not obtained no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department.

The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a probe into the incident which has seized all relevant files from 2021 till 2024.

Meanwhile, the state government has announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each deceased. The central government has also announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person.