Rajkot Police Commissioner Transferred Following Gaming Zone Fire That Killed 28

Rajkot Police Chief Raju Bhargava has been transferred following a devastating fire at a gaming zone in the city that claimed the lives of 28 people, including nine children. Bhargava has not been assigned a new post. Brajesh Kumar Jha, previously the Special Commissioner of Police in Ahmedabad, will replace him.

Additionally, Rajkot City’s Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration, Traffic, and Crime) Vidhi Choudhary has been transferred without an immediate new assignment. Mahendra Bagria, former Deputy Inspector General for the Kutchh-Bhuj (West) zone, will take her place. Sudhirkumar Desai, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rajkot City, Zone 2), has also been removed and replaced by Jagdish Bangwara, who was the Superintendent of Vadodara’s Central Prison. Desai, like Bhargava and Choudhary, has not been given a new post yet.

These changes were implemented shortly after the Gujarat High Court criticized the Rajkot civic body and the state government for failing to ensure the gaming zone, as well as another in Rajkot and three in Ahmedabad, received the necessary certifications, including fire safety and building codes. The court expressed its distrust in the state government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, for allowing these gaming zones to operate for over 24 months without required permits.

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The court was particularly incensed when it was revealed that the Rajkot gaming zone had been operating for two and a half years without the proper permits. In November of last year, local authorities granted a license to the gaming zone, which was renewed until December 31, 2024, as admitted by Bhargava on Sunday.