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Two more arrested in Pune factory fire incident; death toll reaches 8
According to Dr Vinayak Kale, dean, Sassoon General Hospital, of the 10 workers - nine women and one man - referred to the hospital on Friday, two more succumbed on Saturday
The Pimpri Chinchwad police on Saturday arrested two more persons in the fire incident case at a sparkling candle manufacturing unit in Talawade as the death toll touched eight after two more victims succumbed to burn injuries.
According to Dr Vinayak Kale, dean, Sassoon General Hospital, of the 10 workers - nine women and one man - referred to the hospital on Friday, two more succumbed on Saturday.
“Almost half of those undergoing treatment suffer 80-90 per burns. As lungs are damaged due to inhalation of smoke particles, many are in critical condition,” Kale said. Meanwhile, the Dehu Road Police have identified the arrested as Shubhangi Sharad Sutar (35) from Pimpri Sandas and Sagar Rameshan Bhakkad of Dhayarigaon on Sinhagad Road. Shubhangi is the wife of Sharad Sutar who was running the unit and also suffered injuries in the incident.
The arrested in the case have gone up to three with two more suspects, including Sharad Sutar and Jannat Shikalgar, probed by the police. The police late Friday evening had arrested Najir Amir Shikalgar from Mohannagar in Chinchwad.
According to officials, Sutar operated the factory on land owned by the Shikalgars.
Six workers were charred to death and 10 others injured after a major fire broke out at the illegal factory at Jyotiba Nagar Talawade in Pimpri Chinchwad at 2:49 pm on Friday.
Police said the factory property was registered by the name of Jannat Najir Shikalgar and operations taken care by her husband Najir Shikalgar. They rented the factory space to Shubhangi and her husband Sharad ran a sparkling candle brand “SNS” registered under Shivraj Enterprises.
Ajit Lakade, senior inspector, Dehu Road Police Station, said, “The three arrested were produced at the Maval Court on Saturday and remanded to police custody till December 12.”
The police investigation found that Shikalgar rented Sutar the space despite knowing that the latter did not have valid documents to run the unit.
Kakasaheb Dole, deputy commissioner of police (zone II), said, “Sagar was supplying materials to Sutar to manufacture the candles. Our probe will check the possible involvement of other people also.”
According to the police, at least 16 workers, including 15 women, were inside the factory when the fire broke out. Eight fire tenders: one each from Talawade, Chikhali and Pradhikaran fire stations; and five from the main fire brigade unit, were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze at the factory that occupied 200-250 square feet with tin roof.
The police on Saturday sent samples to conduct DNA tests from the mortal remains of the victims.
“We are waiting for results,” Dole said.
The police have filed a case under Sections 304(2) (culpable homicide), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 337 (causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 5,9(B) of the Explosives Act 1884.
