Court refuses pre-arrest bail to Punjabi Ghasitaram Halwai MD

Sewri court rejects anticipatory bail for MD of Punjabi Ghasitaram Halwai in case of minor's death in illegal lift

MUMBAI: The Sewri sessions court on Tuesday rejected the Anticipatory Bail Application (ABA) of Kunal Vippan Bajaj, the managing director of Punjabi Ghasitaram Halwai Pvt Ltd. The police said they are now searching for the MD and his factory manager, both wanted in the case.

Sewri court has rejected anticipatory bail. (Representative Image)

Additional Sessions Judge Sachin Pawar rejected Kunal Vippan Bajaj’s anticipatory bail plea after hearing arguments advanced by his counsel, advocate Niranjan Mundargi and assistant public prosecutor Sulbha Joshi who opposed the ABA on behalf of the police.

Bajaj was booked by the Shahu Nagar police in March along with Udaybhaan Singh, the manager of their sweets manufacturing unit, and labour contractors Ramzan Khan and Sushil Shelote. While Shelote and Khan were arrested by the cops, they are searching for Bajaj and Singh.

According to the allegations in the First Information Report (FIR) the accused hired a 15-year-old youth from Madhya Pradesh to work in their manufacturing unit of Punjabi Ghasitaram Halwai at Jasmine Mill Road in Mahim East. The youth died on February 10 after getting stuck in a lift, purportedly installed in the factory without prior permissions. His family was not informed nor was any proper information given to Sion Hospital where the minor was taken for treatment after the incident.

Police officials said the manager of the sweets unit, Udaybhaan Singh, hired the boy even after knowing that he was a minor. “After investigation, we have booked Kunal Bajaj, managing director of Punjabi Ghasitaram Halwai Pvt Ltd who lives in Juhu as he allowed the illegal lift to be installed in the premises of his sweets factory, which led to the boy’s death, “ said the officer.

The accused have been booked under sections 304(II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 34 (common intention) and sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.