Owner of Wagholi godown that was gutted arrested for negligence

According to the police, the storage facility did not have adequate safety measures in place, which led to the tragic incident

Following a preliminary investigation into an incident where a goods godown in Wagholi caught fire, police have arrested Ashish Agrawal, the owner of the godown, on charges of negligence of safety and security of workers at the workplace.

The fire broke out at Subh Sajawat godown in Wagholi. Three workers died in the mishap (HT PHOTO)

The mishap claimed the lives of three workers who were present inside the godown at the time of the incident. According to the police, the storage facility did not have adequate safety measures in place, which led to the tragic incident.

The police also stated that the workers were not provided with the necessary safety equipment, and there were no fire extinguishers in the godown, which aggravated the situation.

The incident happened on May 5 and only came to light in the early morning hours, when the local fire department received a distress call reporting a massive fire in the industrial area.

The fire brigade rushed to the spot and immediately started rescue operations. However, the godown was completely gutted, and three workers lost their lives in the fire.

The police have charged Agrawal with culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 304 (a). The police are launching an additional inquiry into the incident and have promised to take strong action against anyone found guilty.

The incident has sparked concerns about industrial safety standards and business owners’ responsibilities to their employees.