With the investigation into the fatal May 25 fire at a Rajkot gaming zone expected to yield results in a day or two, the state government will be looking to ensure that the accused get the strictest punishment.

Following the blaze, which claimed 28 lives, the state quickly set up a five-member special investigation team (SIT). Now, based on suo motu action from the Gujarat High Court, the government has suspended six officers with immediate effect.

But, is the government doing absolutely everything it can to give the victims’ families justice and closure?

The SIT included officers from CID-crime, technical education, the directorate of forensic sciences, the fire department, and the department of roads and buildings, but no one from the directorate of prosecution (DoP). 

Set up under Section 25 A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC, now replaced with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Act), the directorate of prosecution monitors and controls how criminal cases are prosecuted. Led by director Jagroopsinh Rajput in Gujarat, its aim is to ensure justice for victims, greater punishment for convicts and fool proof investigations. No wonder then, that the omission of the DoP from the SIT has raised questions on whether the state’s prosecution of the case is as strong as it could be. 

Gujarat Samachar Digital reached out to Secretary (Home) Nipuna Torawane for comment, since the DoP falls under administrative control of the home department in the state. However, we received no reply by the time this story was published.