Amid the ongoing investigation into the Rajkot fire tragedy, city Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava has been transferred. Announcing the development, the state government said Bhargava will be replaced by IPS officer Brijesh Kumar Jha, and the decision will be immediately applicable.
Moreover, apart from Bhargava, the state government in today's order also announced the transfer of Vidhi Choudhary, Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration, Traffic, and Crime) Rajkot City, Sudhirkumar J. Desai, DCP-Zone 2, Rajkot, and city Municipal Commissioner Anand Babulal Patel. Elaborating on the details of the other officials who will be taking over their positions, the Gujarat Government announced Mahendra Bagria as the city's new Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration, Traffic, and Crime) and Jagdish Bangwara, formerly the Superintendent of Vadodara's Central Prison, as the new DCP-Zone 2 of Rajkot. The state government also announced DP Desai as Rajkot's new municipal commissioner.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that the suspension of the top officials followed the suspension of six officials, including Rajkot Municipal Corporation's town planning department assistant engineer Jaideep Chaudhary, assistant town planner for RMC Gautam Joshi, Rajkot Roads and Buildings department's deputy executive engineers MR Suma and Paras Kothiya, and police inspectors VR Patel and NI Rathod, on Monday.
Further, the development also followed after the Gujarat High Court, on Monday, fumed over the fact that the gaming zones in the city had been functioning for over two years without the required permits. During the hearing, the court, in stern words, slammed the state government and the Rajkot municipal body for their negligence and said, "Have you gone blind? Did you fall asleep? Now we do not trust the local system and the state government.".
Notably, the game zone, where the blaze erupted on Saturday, was operated without the fire NOC (no objection certificate). "The game zone had received permissions from the roads and buildings department. It had also submitted a proof of fire safety equipment to obtain the fire NOC, which was under process and not yet completed," Raju Bhargava had earlier said.
