Nagpur: The owner and the manager of an explosives factory near Nagpur city where a blast claimed the lives of six workers were arrested on Friday and subsequently granted bail.
Jay Shivshankar Khemka (49), director of Chamundi Explosives Pvt Ltd, and factory manager Sagar Deshmukh were arrested and produced before a local court. The Judicial Magistrate First Class, Hingna, granted them cash bail of Rs 50,000 each.
The blast occurred around 1 pm on Thursday. A total of nine injured persons were admitted to two private hospitals in the city, of whom five women and a man died during treatment. Another male worker died at a hospital here on Friday, a doctor said. Dansa Mahraskolhe (22), who had suffered 90 per cent burn injuries and was battling for life, died on Friday evening, said Dr Pinak Dande of Dande Hospital in Nagpur. Most of the victims were working in the factory’s packaging unit when the explosion took place, according to police. A case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 304 (a) (causing death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by doing any rash or negligent act) was registered against the director and the manager of the factory on Thursday night, police said. Subsequently, director Khemka, a resident of Ram Nagar in Nagpur, and manager Deshmukh were arrested, they added.
Meanwhile, Union minister and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari visited the blast site along with officials. “The factory management has promised to provide Rs 25 lakh to the families of each deceased, while the state government will give Rs 10 lakh,” Gadkari said.