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SBL Energy owner absconding after Nagpur blast; death toll rises to 20
Hospital authorities said Durga Sevatkar, who had suffered severe burns in the blast, died around 8.15 am on Friday, taking the death toll to 20.
Rescue operations are underway inside the factory premises, efforts to extinguish the fire can be seen where the blast occurred. (Photo: special arrangement)
The Nagpur police, probing the explosives factory blast, Friday said the owner of the company SBL Energy Limited is absconding and they have issued look-out circulars. Meanwhile, the death toll in the blast rose to 20 after a victim succumbed to injuries during treatment, Orange City Hospital confirmed.
Nagpur Police said 21 accused have been named in the case so far, of whom 11 have been arrested, while 10 others remain absconding. Among those absconding is the company’s owner, Alok Chaudhari. Police said efforts are underway to secure warrants and initiate further legal action to compel the accused to appear before investigators.
“None of the accused arrested so far have applied for anticipatory bail,” Superintendent of Police Harssh Poddar told The Indian Express.
Poddar said investigators are currently compiling detailed documentation from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) regarding safety instructions issued to the factory.
“The key aspect is obtaining a full compilation from PESO and DISH on all safety instructions issued to the company. After that, we will examine the internal processes followed by the company to implement those instructions — whether resources were allocated and what work was actually carried out,” Poddar said.
He added that the analysis will help determine individual liability. “There may be directors who had no role in the day-to-day functioning of the company, and a chargesheet may not be filed against them. At the same time, other individuals responsible for implementation failures may emerge. The number of accused is not capped at 21 and may increase,” he said.
Police said the final chargesheet will largely depend on the final reports submitted by PESO and DISH. According to police, Chaudhari’s last known location was in Raipur and teams have already visited the city. If he fails to appear before authorities, police will initiate legal proceedings to attach his property.
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Meanwhile, hospital authorities said Durga Sevatkar, who had suffered severe burns in the blast, died around 8.15 am on Friday, taking the death toll to 20.
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