Petition says illegal construction regularised by SMC violated the existing norms
A 42-year-old businessman Jaysukhlal Gajera, who lost his daughter in the deadly fire at Takshashila Arcade in Surat on May 24, had moved to Gujarat High Court seeking the transfer of investigation of the case from Surat Crime Branch to CID (crime). The petitioner has also requested for a court monitored investigation so that the real culprits, including errant government officials who did not carry out their duties properly, can be brought to justice.
About 22 persons, mostly children aged below 18 years, lost their life in the incident. After the incident hit national headlines, the authorities swung into action and FIR was registered for culpable homicide, attempt to commit culpable homicide, and abettor present when offence is committed, against three persons, Harshul Vekaria, Jignesh Paghdal, and Bhargav Bhutani. While Vekaria and Paghdal are the owners of the second, third, and fourth floor of the building, Bhutani was a tenant in the building who used to run drawing classes on the terrace where the owners had carried out illegal construction.
The petitioner cited that the illegal construction was regularised by the officials of Surat Municipal Corporation in gross violation of existing norms. It is also his argument that the illegal use of the premise without any fire safety measures was with the connivance and under protection of fire department. officials.
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- Petition stated that the illegal use of the premise without any fire safety measures was with the connivance and under the protection of fire department officials
- It stated that police had the knowledge about errant officials responsible, but it chose not to name them in FIR
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Gajera argued that police had the knowledge about errant officials responsible, but it chose not to name them in the FIR, which indicates that it is acting in a biased manner in order to shield government officials responsible. He has also claimed that he had made a presentation to the Surat police commissioner on May 27. Since no action was taken by the police, he had no option, but to approach the high court for a relief.
Gajera alleged that the police are not investigation the matter in the right direction and is trying its best to shield the government officials responsible for the mishap. Counsel for Gajera, Zaki Sheikh, told DNA that the petition has been already filed in the high court and is likely to come up for hearing next week or the week thereafter when the court reopens post summer vacation.
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