May 27th 2024.
The Gujarat High Court expressed its lack of confidence in the state's system, which only seems to take action after innocent lives have been lost. This was in reference to the tragic fire incident at the Rajkot civic body's game zone facility, which claimed 27 lives. Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai, who presided over the special bench, questioned whether the civic body had neglected fire safety orders for 18 months, despite a PIL being filed earlier.
The High Court was conducting a suo motu PIL on the fire tragedy that occurred at the TRP game zone on May 25. The day before, the court had already termed the incident as a "man-made disaster". During the proceedings, the bench also questioned why the civic body had not taken notice of such a large structure being built without proper permissions.
The court held all the commissioners of the Rajkot municipal corporation during the time of the game zone's construction in 2021 accountable for the tragedy. They were directed to submit separate affidavits. The court also noted that drastic action was needed to hold those responsible accountable, and expressed its lack of faith in the state's machinery. The bench stated that despite multiple orders and assurances, this was the sixth such incident that had occurred, indicating the authorities only took action after lives were lost.
The High Court also questioned the ignorance of the RMC counsel regarding the game zone not having the necessary permissions. The bench asked how the civic body was unaware of such a large structure being built under its jurisdiction. It also questioned when the corporation first became aware of the game zone's existence. The court noted that the structure had been operating for over three years without a fire NOC or any other requisite permissions. Only after the corporation wrote to the owners for a fire NOC in May 2024, did they take notice.
The court pointed out the inaction of the authorities in inspecting the site and questioning the legality of the structures, despite regulations being in place. It also questioned the police department for allowing the game zone to operate without proper permissions and directed the Police Commissioner to file an affidavit. The court noted that it was unfortunate that the authorities only took action after the loss of innocent lives.
The High Court refrained from passing any orders at this stage, with the hope of giving the officers a chance to rectify their mistakes. The bench also clarified that the structures built by the game zone operator could not be considered temporary. It observed that the AMC, SMC, and VMC's actions after the Rajkot incident were a typical knee-jerk reaction and questioned whether the SIT formed by the state would be enough to console the families who have repeatedly lost their loved ones in such man-made disasters.
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