The Madras High Court today dismissed the bail petitions of the director and six other top officials of an effluent treatment plant at SIPCOT (State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu) in Ranipet with regard to the tank collapse there last month which killed 10 labourers.
Justice P Devadass, before whom the petitions came up, said initial probe showed scant attention had been paid to the tank and its collapse led to loss of 10 lives. Unlike conventional crime, investigation here required specialised knowledge and involvement of scientific and field experts. The investigating agency was in the process of collecting material.
"There are materials against the petitioners. In the facts and circumstances of the case, possibility of their intefering with the investigation and fleeing away from justice cannot be ruled out. Considering all the above aspects, nature of the allegations made, stage of the investigation, magnitude of the offence alleged and loss of human lives, I am not inclined to grant them anticipatory bail."
Ten labourers, including nine from West Bengal, were killed when an effluent tank at the tannery collapsed on January 31.
Police had registered a case based on a complaint of the Village Administrative Officer, Navla Kaarai, Valajah Taluk.
Subsequently, investigation was transferred to CB-CID and some persons were arrested.
The prosecution case was the petitioners had contributed to the mishap. They had left unattended the tank for a year, resulting in overflow, flooding to a nearby company and loss of 10 lives. They had not taken care in spite of the advice of Pollution Control Board. They had also made a construction without proper permission from the authorities concerned.
It said they had also not complied with some directions of the Green Bench (South), including depositing an amount towards reserve fund and compensation to the next of kin of the families.
Investigation was going on in the above matter and so the petitioners should not be granted bail, they said.
