A court in Rajkot, Gujarat, has placed four officials in police custody until June 12 in connection with the deadly game zone fire on May 25, which claimed 27 lives.

Among the arrested are Rajkot Town Planning Officer (TPO) M.D. Sagathia, assistant TPOs Mukesh Makwana and Gautam Joshi, and Rohit Vigora, the former station officer of Kalavad Road fire station. They were presented in the court of Judicial First Class Magistrate B.P. Thakar.

Public prosecutor Tushar Gokani highlighted that Section 36 of the Indian Penal Code, which addresses the consequences of combined acts and omissions, has been applied to the accused. Gokani stated that Sagathia had known since 2023 that the game zone was illegal and required demolition but failed to act. The prosecution seeks to uncover more details about the events leading up to the tragedy.

The fire was reportedly ignited by a welding spark, and despite previous warnings, the game zone continued to operate without a fire department no-objection certificate (NOC). Vigora, who had previously responded to a fire incident at the same location in September 2023, is accused of neglecting to enforce safety measures.

In addition to these arrests, nine individuals, including the game's owners and a manager, have been detained, and nine officials have been suspended for their alleged negligence in permitting the game zone to function without proper approvals.