Four days after the blaze at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Sivakasi killed 38 persons,the police have arrested the owner of the company,who has been absconding since the blaze. Murugesan,the original licensee of Om Sakthi Fireworks,which went up in flames,was arrested by a special team of Virudhunagar district police from Samayanallur in Madurai. He has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code,including culpable homicide among other charges. He was later taken to Virudhunagar. Murugesans arrest takes the total number of arrests made in the fire at the unit to 13. Sources said Murugesan is an AIADMK member,who was once the panchayat union president in the region. He is a ward councillor of the party,and is alleged to have connections in higher places. Murugesan had leased out the manufacturing unit to one Palpandi,who was arrested by the police soon after the incident.
