Father demands Rs 20 Lakh in compensation after son's death in Rajkot game zone fire

NEW DELHI: The father of a 20-year-old engineering student who died in the TRP game zone fire in Rajkot, Gujarat, on May 25, has filed a complaint with the district consumer dispute redressal commission. He is seeking Rs 20 lakh in compensation from the firm running the facility, citing negligence and deficient service. Twenty-seven people lost their lives in that fire.
Rasik Vekaria, a businessman, has approached the Rajkot District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for compensation and punitive damages amounting to Rs 20 lakh.His lawyer, Gajendra Jani, elaborated that Vekaria's son, Nirav, a second-year engineering student with a promising future, perished due to the company's negligence.
"The complaint has demanded that the partners of the firm and the owners of the place where the firm used to operate should pay a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family of deceased Nirav Vekaria," Jani said.
Various authorities have been made parties to the complaint to ensure that all relevant documentary evidence is presented. These include the Rajkot Collector, the Commissioner of Police, and the Municipal Commissioner.
Judge K M Dave has issued notices to nine respondents, including Raceway Enterprises, its partners, and the local authorities mentioned. The complaint was filed on June 29, and notices were issued on July 6. The matter is scheduled for hearing on August 2.
The complaint details how Raceway Enterprises advertised various activities like games, amusement, sports, and racing under the name TRP Game Zone. Such promotional descriptions attracted Nirav and other customers, who paid to use services like trampolines, artificial wall climbing, racing, bowling, and jumping.
According to the complaint, when the fire broke out on May 25, Nirav and the others couldn't escape safely and were trapped, leading to their premature deaths. It further accuses the firm of neglecting basic safety measures such as providing fire extinguishers or insurance coverage for its customers.
"Nirav, the firm's customer, received defective service from the firm and died due to its negligence," the complaint stated.
Vekaria is pursuing compensation based on the grounds that the firm failed to ensure customer safety and provided inadequate services, leading to the tragic death of his only son. The complainant insists that both the firm and the property owners be held financially accountable for their supposed lapses.
With the authorities now involved, the forthcoming hearing on August 2 will be crucial to determine if the family's plea for compensation will be upheld.