Two Tata Motors officials arrested in chlorine gas leak case

  • 30/05/2008

  • Financial Express (New Delhi)

Two Tata Motors officials, water treatment plant in-charge BK Sarkar and DGM (safety) Samir K Ghatak, were arrested on Wednesday night from their residences. They were arrested on the charges of negligence in the chlorine gas leakage case at the company's water treatment plant earlier this week. Soon after chief minister Madhu Koda's departure from the city on Wednesday after a short visit to the company's hospital and the water treatment plant here, police got into action and lodged an FIR at the Telco police station against as many as 10 company officials, including two belonging to Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company (Jusco). The chief minister, during his visit, blamed Tata Motors management for the incident and said an FIR would be lodged and those found guilty will be arrested. According to East Singhbhum superintendent of police Navin K Singh, the two officials have been booked under Sections 278, 284, 308, 337, 338, 34 of the IPC. "The sections briefly say the officials were legally bound under the Factories Act to keep the working environment safe, it was an omission on their part not to have fulfilled their legal liabilities,' said the SP talking to FE on Thursday, adding that the two officials "had knowledge that the illegal omission could cause death.' Although there have been no deaths, several people were fell ill by the gas leakage, leading us to apply Section 308 instead of Section 304, he said. Some of the sections pertain to negligence in handling chemicals/gaseous fumes and causing danger to public safety, with the gravest offence inviting a maximum penalty of imprisonment ranging from three to six years. The FIR was lodged against the Tata Motors plant head, plant occupier, general manager (manufacturing), DGM (civil) AK Patel, AGM Manoj Ram, DGM (safety) Samir K Ghatak, a supervisor and water treatment plant in-charge BK Sarkar along with Jusco's head (water division) GS Basu and Tanmay Bist. Tata Motors, few months back, had handed over the water treatment plant to Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company (Jusco), a Tata Steel subsidiary which provides civic amenities, for running & maintaining it. Asked if the police was going to make some more arrests, the SP said, "I can't say that at this point of time, the investigation is on'.