Schaeffler India Chief Executive Officer Harsha Kadam has been arrested in connection with a gas leak at the engineering company's facility in Pune district in June that claimed the lives of two workers and left three others hospitalised, police said on Wednesday.
Kadam, the eighth person arrested in the case, was taken into custody on October 19, according to Vijayanand Patil, Inspector at Talegaon MIDC police station.
The case involves charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing death by negligence and acts endangering human life or personal safety.
๐๐๐ข ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐
Police said Kadam was taken for a medical examination following his arrest, during which doctors found that his blood pressure was elevated.
"After taking the CEO into custody, we got a medical examination done, during which his blood pressure was found to be high. On the doctor's advice, he was referred to a hospital. We have submitted a report to the court, which directed us to produce him after his treatment," Patil said.
The CEO remains admitted to hospital, and a decision on producing him before the court will be taken based on medical advice, the officer added.
๐ง๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ต ๐ด๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ
The incident occurred on June 9 at Schaeffler India's manufacturing facility in the Talegaon Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area.
According to police, five workers were carrying out maintenance on a carbon dioxide-based fire suppression system when CO2 gas leaked during the replacement of a cylinder on the ground floor of the premises.
Two workers died following exposure to the gas, while three others were hospitalised.
Police had earlier said the maintenance team comprised three employees of a private contractor and two staff members of Schaeffler India.
Inspector Patil alleged that the maintenance operation had been undertaken without obtaining the necessary permissions from the relevant authorities.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
Following the incident, police registered a case against Kadam and others under relevant provisions of the BNS.
Seven other accused had been arrested earlier, and a chargesheet against them has already been filed before a local court.
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the maintenance operation and the alleged lapses that led to the fatal gas leak.
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐
Schaeffler India is a listed subsidiary of Germany-headquartered Schaeffler Group, which operates in the automotive, industrial and aerospace sectors.
According to the company's website, its Talegaon manufacturing plant produces engine and transmission components, including front accessory drive systems, chain drive systems, valve train components, shift systems and needle roller bearings.
The latest arrest brings the number of people taken into custody in connection with the June 9 incident to eight.