Gujarat High Court on Monday came down heavily on the state government over the lapses in the Rajkot gaming zone fire. The development comes two days after a gaming zone in Rajkot caught fire, killing 28 people, including nine children.

The court was furious when it found that two gaming zones had been operating without permits, including fire safety certificates, for more than 24 months, and said it could no longer "trust" the state government, which is controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.

The court also criticised the state government. "Have you gone blind? Did you fall asleep? Now we do not trust the local system and the state," the court raged when informed that fire safety certification hearings had gone unresolved for four years.

7 officials suspended for negligence

Meanwhile, the Gujarat government suspended seven officials, including two police inspectors and Rajkot Municipal Corporation civic staff, for dereliction of duty in connection with a fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot that killed 28 people.

Suspended officers are Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) town planning department assistant engineer Jaideep Chaudhary, assistant town planner for RMC Gautam Joshi, Rajkot Roads and Buildings department's deputy executive engineer HR Suma, Assistant Engineer Road and Building Department of RMC Parsbhai M Kothiya, Station Officer of Fire and Emergency Services of Rajkot Municipal Corporation, Rohit Vigora and police inspectors VR Patel and NI Rathod.