Newly married couple among 28 killed in fire at Rajkot gaming zone

Akshay Dholaria and his wife, Khyati Svaliwea, were celebrating their court marriage at the TRP Game Zone on Saturday evening when the incident occurred.

A newly married couple was among the 28 persons killed in a massive fire at a gaming zone in Gujarat's Rajkot on May 25, NDTV has reported.

Ambulances and fire trucks are pictured near the site after a fire broke out at an amusement park facility in Rajkot on May 25.(AFP)

Akshay Dholaria and his wife, Khyati Svaliwea, were celebrating their court marriage at the TRP Game Zone on Saturday evening when the incident took place. Khyati's sister was also among those killed.

According to their families, Akshay, 24, who lived with his parents in Canada, had come to Rajkot to marry 20-year-old Khyati. The couple had a court marriage on May 18 and a grand wedding with Hindu rituals was scheduled later this year.

According to NDTV, both of their bodies were burnt beyond recognition. While Akshay's body was identified with the help of the ring he was wearing, the bodies of Khyati and her sister have been sent for DNA testing.

Rajkot gaming zone fire 

The fire at the TRP game zone in the Nana-Mava locality of Rajkot on Saturday evening killed 27 persons, including children.

According to the police, that the blaze might have started due to welding work in the gaming zone.

The Rajkot Police has registered a first information report (FIR) against six partners of the game zone on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Two of them have been arrested, while the others remain absconding.

The six individuals against whom the case was registered by the Rajkot taluka police in the wee hours of Sunday are Dhaval Corporation proprietor Dhaval Thakkar, Raceway Enterprise partners Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, Prakashchand Hiran, Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, as per the FIR.

Solanki, a partner in the Raceway Enterprise, which operated the TRP game zone has been arrested. The entertainment facility's manager Nitin Jain have also been held.

The six accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by an act that endangers life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt to a person by doing an act that endangers their life or personal safety) and 114 (someone present when offense is committed), as per the FIR.