Rajkot Game Zone fire: Missing co-owner confirmed dead, reveals DNA report

The intense blaze caused severe damage, rendering many bodies unidentifiable. This necessitated the use of DNA testing for identification purposes. Prakash, who held a 60 percent stake in the gaming zone, was also a partner in Raceway Enterprises.

A devastating fire engulfed TRP Gamezone in Rajkot, Gujarat, on May 25, claiming the lives of at least 27 individuals, including children. Among the deceased was Prakash Hiran, one of the owners of the gaming zone.

According to reports, CCTV footage showed Hiran at the location, and his vehicle was found at the scene of the fire. Jitendra, Hiran's brother, raised concerns about his whereabouts, saying that Prakash was inside the gaming zone when the fire erupted. DNA samples taken from their mother confirmed that Prakash was among those who perished in the fire.

The intense blaze caused severe damage, rendering many bodies unidentifiable. This necessitated the use of DNA testing for identification purposes. Prakash, who held a 60 percent stake in the gaming zone, was also a partner in Raceway Enterprises.

He, along with five others, has been implicated in the incident by the Gujarat Police. The First Information Report (FIR) named Dhaval Thakkar, the primary accused and owner of Dhaval Enterprises, and partners of Raceway Enterprises—Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, Prakash Hiran, Yuvrajsinh Solanki, and Rahul Rathod.

A senior officer informed a news agency that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Gujarat government to probe the fire has interrogated over 25 individuals and confiscated numerous documents.

"The state government has given us clear instructions to conduct a free and fair probe to ensure that injustice is not meted out to anyone. We have so far conducted a preliminary probe and seized all the relevant documents related to the game zone, and further investigation is ongoing," said senior IPS officer Subhash Trivedi, who heads the SIT.

Meanwhile, the state government made administrative changes on Monday by transferring Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava, along with two other IPS officers, and Municipal Commissioner Anand Patel. DNA analysis has successfully identified nine bodies retrieved from the fire-damaged TRP Game Zone, providing some closure to the grieving families.