Takshashila arcade fire case: Surat dist govt pleader replaced

Police registered a case in this connection arrested a total of 11 people including fire department officials, Surat Municipal Corporation Engineers, a coaching centre owner, Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited (DGVCL) engineer, and builders of the building.

The court had till now given bail to one of the arrested builders identified as Jignesh Padghar, while 10 others are still in judicial custody. The bail applications of all the arrested persons were once rejected by Surat district Court.

The Surat police had also submitted a chargesheet into the incident.

SMC Engineer Himanshu Gajjar, who is still absconding in the case, had filed an anticipatory bail application with the Surat district court, while another accused Dipak Naik, Engineer of DGVCL, also filed a bail application with the court. Advocate Ketan Reshamwala appeared in both the bail applications from defence side and put forward his reasons for granting bail. However on Friday, a letter from the State government reached Surat government pleader Nayan Sukhadwala’s office, in which it was mentioned that Special public prosecutor Prafulsinh Parmar of Bharuch court had been appointed in his place.

Sukhadwala then intimated this to the Surat district court, saying Parmar will deal with the case proceeding.

Sukhadwala had said he was shocked by the government’s decision but “would accept it”.

On Saturday, Parmar requested the court for time to study the case, upon which the next hearing of the bail petition of Gajjar and Naik have been posted to September 9.