Six months after blast that killed 54, Sigachi CEO arrested for negligence | Hyderabad News - The Times of India

Hyderabad: About six months after the devastating explosion at Sigachi Industries' unit in Pashamylaram industrial area of Sangareddy district, the Telangana police on Saturday arrested the company's managing director and chief executive officer Amit Raj Sinha on charges of negligence.He was produced before the magistrate and sent to 14 days in judicial remand to Kandi central jail.The June 30 blast - considered the deadliest disaster in India's pharma sector history - had left 54 Sigachi workers dead and over 30 injured. While some died of burns on the spot, many others succumbed to severe burn injuries over the next few days. Eight workers continue to remain unaccounted for as their mortal remains could not be retrieved for identification.Investigations by multiple parties, including a special five-member technical expert committee set up by the Telangana govt and comprising senior chemical scientists and safety officers, found the explosion that ripped through the dryer unit of the factory was caused due to massive build-up of temperature and pressure inside it owing to poor maintenance and inadequate cleaning. It pointed to negligence on the part of Sigachi management while exposing the absence of safety protocols and qualified staff. The reports stressed the need for stricter enforcement of fire norms at hazardous units.Police said that Sinha, along with five others from the management, have been booked under Sections 105, 110, and 118 (1) and (2), which deal with safety violations and negligence, of the BNS."We are continuing our investigation to ascertain the role of the individuals responsible for the failures that led to the disaster," a senior officer from BDL Bhanur police station, Sangareddy, told TOI.Over the past few months, the Telangana High Court has repeatedly expressed displeasure over the slow pace of the Sigachi probe. In Nov, the court asked the state why no arrests were made in the case, despite witness statements and prima facie evidence, months after the incident. Recently, it even directed Sigachi Pharma to submit details of the compensation already paid and proposed to be paid to the families of the deceased, missing and injured victims. Next hearing in the high court is on Dec 30.