Navi Mumbai: After two months of a probe by Panvel taluka police in the accidental death case of a 51-year-old worker who had died due to severe burn injuries after a hazardous chemical fell on him while he was collecting a sample from a rejected container of a chemical company in Panvel taluka, an FIR has been registered against the company’s commercial officer and a Customs House Agent (CHA) for their alleged negligence causing death.
Gajanan Ghadge, senior inspector of Panvel taluka, said that the deceased worker was identified as Bhagwat Vithoba Garkal (51) who resided with his family in sector 5, Kamothe. Following a complaint by the deceased Garkal’s son Akshay (28), on Wed an FIR was registered against the accused officials identified as Pranay Anil Rahate (25), a commercial officer at Litmus Organics Pvt Ltd company, and Ravindra Sopan Nanhe (47), a Customs House Agent. We have invoked BNS sections for causing death by a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, act done so rashly or negligently that it endangers human life or the personal safety of others and joint criminal liability. The incident had occurred at the Ashte Container Freight Station (CFS) at Kasalkhand along the Savla-Rasayani road, Panvel taluka on July 30 around 4 pm.
Ghadge said, “Litmus Organics Pvt Ltd company’s rejected container with hazardous chemical namely ‘Saturated Acyclic Monocarboxylic Acid’ had returned from abroad and parked at Ashte CFS.
On July 30 around 4 pm, Rahate and Nanhe engaged the worker Bhagwat Garkal to collect a sample of the hazardous chemical allegedly without giving him any prior information that it would pose a threat to his life. They allegedly did not even provide him with necessary protective equipments like safety boots, jacket, mask and gloves for collecting the hazardous chemical sample from the rejected container and hence did not take safety measures. While Garkal was collecting the sample, the chemical fell on him and he sustained severe burn injuries. He was rushed to National Burns hospital, Airoli where the doctors claimed that he had sustained 55 to 60 % burns. After 10 days of treatment, he succumbed to his injuries on Aug 9 around 12 midnight.
