Supreme Court Grants Bail to Former Rajkot Fire Chief in TRP Game Zone Fire Case

Rajkot: More than a year after a devastating fire at Rajkot’s TRP Game Zone claimed 27 lives, the Supreme Court has granted bail to Ilesh Valabhai Kher, the former Chief Fire Officer of the district, who was arrested in connection with the tragedy. The blaze, which broke out on May 25, 2024, led to national outrage and raised serious questions about fire safety compliance. Kher had been in custody for over a year until Wednesday’s ruling by a two-judge bench comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan.

In its ruling, the bench observed that Kher’s role in the incident appeared to be “extremely remote.” The court also highlighted that he had already spent more than a year behind bars and noted that there was little likelihood of the trial beginning anytime soon. The court thus set aside a previous January 30 decision by the Gujarat High Court, which had rejected Kher’s bail plea. Kher’s defense team, led by senior advocate Harin P. Raval and advocate Anando Mukherjee, argued that his office had never received any booking or operational license for the specific location where the fire occurred. Only a license for an adjacent plot had been submitted, they said.

The defense also contended that Kher had no prior knowledge of the risks at the site, pointing out that he was never alerted to a smaller fire incident at the location in 2023. They emphasized Kher’s clean record and assured the court he would not misuse the bail if granted.

On the other hand, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the Gujarat government, strongly opposed the bail plea. He argued that Kher failed in his duty to enforce fire safety measures, especially since the game zone operated on a large scale. The state further argued that this was not a one-off oversight but a repeat failure, given the earlier fire incident. The Supreme Court acknowledged that a comprehensive investigation had already been completed, and a chargesheet had been filed naming multiple accused. With 365 witnesses listed, the court said the trial is expected to be lengthy, further justifying bail for Kher.

Speaking after the verdict, advocate Mukherjee noted: “The Supreme Court has rightly emphasized that bail should be the norm, not the exception. Given the sheer volume of witnesses and the slow pace of proceedings, the court recognized that continued incarceration would be unjustified.” The bail order comes amid growing scrutiny of civic safety regulations in Gujarat. The TRP Game Zone fire remains one of the worst public safety tragedies in recent state history, triggering a wider debate on the accountability of local officials and oversight of high-footfall venues.

With the case still far from trial, victims’ families continue to wait for justice, even as one of the accused walks free on bail, a reminder of both the complexity and slow pace of the legal process in high-profile negligence cases.

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