Rajkot: A local court today remanded four arrested officers of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation to 12 days of police custody until June 12th. The accused were arrested by the Rajkot Crime Branch in relation to the investigation of the TRP Game Zone fire incident that took the life of 27 people.

The police had arrested then Town Planning Officer (TPO) M.D. Sagathiya, Assistant Town Planning Officers Gautam Joshi and Mukesh Makwana, and Fire Station Officer Rohit Vigora. Their names were added to the police complaint filed earlier in this case. The police had sought 14 days of custody for further investigation; however, the court granted 12 days of custody.

Rajkot Bar Association Vice President Suresh Phaldu appeared before the court. He stated that the system is responsible for this incident. Despite the state government changing three times, Officer Sagathiya has continued to serve in one place. These officers have knowledge of the law, making it difficult to obtain the right answers from them. Even if the police interrogate them for many days, it might not be enough. Therefore, we request a 14-day remand, the advocate said.

The lawyer for the accused argued that all necessary documents had been provided to the investigating officer, so a lengthy remand was unnecessary. The accusations pertain to systemic negligence, and the investigation has already reached its root cause. He suggested that if necessary, a one- or two-day remand should suffice; a 14-day remand was not required. He also noted that Rohit Vigora is a fixed employee who has worked according to his superior’s instructions, and Mukesh Makwana was transferred 10 months ago and had sent a notice for demolishing the construction. DeshGujarat