Nagpur: Police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the owner and senior officials of SBL Energy Limited in connection with the devastating explosion at the company’s plant in Kalmeshwar. The offence has been filed at Kalmeshwar Police Station following directions issued by Nagpur’s Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
The industrial blast has so far claimed 19 lives and left 23 workers injured. While 18 employees had initially died in the aftermath of the explosion, the toll increased on Monday after 35-year-old Ranjana Uttam Ghagre succumbed to her injuries during treatment at Orange City Hospital and Research Institute.
Along with company owner Sanjay Chaudhary, other directors, the plant head and the manager have also been named in the First Information Report (FIR). Investigators invoked BNS Section 105 considering the seriousness of the incident and the high number of casualties, indicating alleged negligence that led to the fatal mishap.
Officials stated that strict legal action was deemed necessary in view of the magnitude of the tragedy. The Kalmeshwar Police have launched a detailed probe to determine the exact cause of the explosion and to examine whether mandatory industrial safety protocols were followed at the facility.
A high-level review meeting to discuss further action in the SBL Energy Limited explosion case is scheduled for 10 am on Monday, March 2, at the Divisional Commissioner’s office in Nagpur. Senior administrative and law enforcement authorities are expected to deliberate on the investigation’s progress and future course of action.
The incident has sparked fresh debate over industrial safety compliance in the region, with concerns mounting over monitoring mechanisms and enforcement of safety norms in hazardous manufacturing units operating around Nagpur.
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