Sasmira’s Institute deaths: Lab in-charge booked for causing death by negligence

Police have booked the laboratory in charge of Sasmira's Institute of Design and Textiles in Mumbai for causing death by negligence after two women died and two others were injured in a glycerine spill. The laboratory in charge failed to ensure staff members wore safety gear.

MUMBAI: Nearly a year after two women died and two others were severely injured after hot glycerine spilt over them during a routine experiment at Sasmira’s Institute of Design and Textiles in Worli, the police have booked the laboratory in charge for causing death by negligence. The officials said she failed to ensure that staff members did not enter the laboratory without safety gear.

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“We have registered a case against Leena Mhatre, 53, who is also a resident of Worli. She was in charge of the laboratory when hot glycerine spilled, resulting in the death of two female staffers Shraddha Shinde, 27, and Pratiksha Ghume, 22, and injuring two men who worked in the laboratory,” said the police officer.

The police said after a detailed investigation, the case was registered in the matter under 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code against Mhatre.

The institute started an enquiry under the chairmanship of its joint director to investigate the cause of the glycerine spillage in its chemistry laboratory. “We submitted our findings to the committee,” said Dr Ashok Tiwari, senior director at Sasmira Institute.

It was her job to make sure that when people entered the laboratory, they had proper safety gear and if people had worn proper safety gear the injuries could have been less.

The incident took place on November 16, 2022, four people were injured after hot glycerine spilt on them after overheating in the Sasmira Institute laboratory. The injured were identified as Shraddha Shinde, 27, and Prajyot Vade, 21, Rajeev Kulkarni, 60, Pratiksha Ghume, 20.

Ghume had suffered 72% burn injuries, while Shinde and Vade had suffered 40% burn injuries while Kulkarni had suffered 19% injuries.