Pune: Police have detained Schaeffler India managing director and CEO Harsha Kadam from Mumbai in connection with the June 9 CO₂ leak at the company’s Talegaon plant, which killed two workers and injured four others.Investigators have added Section 105 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, to the case and held Kadam responsible in his capacity as the “occupier” of the factory premises under applicable law.Police on Wednesday said Kadam was admitted to Sassoon General Hospital after his blood pressure rose during a mandatory medical examination before his production in court on Tuesday.Deputy commissioner of police Shweta Khedkar told TOI, “Kadam developed health complications during the medical check-up before being produced in court. We told the court about his condition. It directed us to keep him in detention until he is discharged from hospital. The court told us to produce him before it immediately after his discharge. A police guard has been deployed at the hospital.”Phone calls and text messages to the corporate communication department of Schaeffler India seeking their statement on the matter remained unanswered at the time of going to press.The incident occurred around 12.30pm on June 9 at the automotive and industrial parts maker’s unit in Navlakh Umbre of the Talegaon MIDC area during the scheduled replacement of expired CO₂ cylinders in the plant’s fire suppression system. The work was being carried out by workers employed by third-party contractors.The deceased were identified as Vaibhav Thorat (24), an employee of Chinchwad-based Usha Fire Safety Equipment, and Gaurishankar Sharma (38), who worked for Thane-based Fernoteck Engineering. Four other workers — ShriKrishna Sahu, Narsinha Patil, Pramod Jaiswar and Sushoban Pakhira — sustained injuries.Investigation revealed that the fire suppression system was installed in a basement pit without necessary permission, said Vijayanand Patil, senior police inspector at Talegaon MIDC police station.“The approved layout did not provide for such an installation. During inspection, Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) officials found that the actual layout and site conditions differed from those approved,” he said.Citing the DISH inspection report, Patil said the installation had not been authorised and that the occupier was responsible for ensuring compliance with the applicable safety requirements.In a regulatory filing with National Stock Exchange, Schaeffler India said Kadam was taken into custody around 6.40pm on Monday as the police expanded their investigation. He was not named in the initial suo motu FIR registered on July 4. The company said investigation had been extended to include Kadam on the grounds that he was the ‘occupier’ of the factory premises under applicable law.“The company is evaluating the developments in consultation with its legal advisers, has complied and continues to comply with all laws applicable to it, and will take all steps necessary in accordance with applicable law to resolve the situation. The company’s business operations continue in the ordinary course,” the company’s general counsel and company secretary said in the statement to NSE.An accidental death case was initially registered at Talegaon MIDC police station on June 10. Police subsequently registered an FIR on July 4 against six people and others under relevant sections, including those pertaining to death by negligence. Those named included the company’s safety officer, heat treatment head, branch head and project manager, along with officials associated with the contractor responsible for the maintenance work.According to the FIR, Schaeffler had contracted Usha Fire Safety Equipment to maintain its fire suppression system. Of the 32 cylinders installed at the plant, 14 had expired and were due for replacement. Usha Fire Safety had subcontracted the work to Fernoteck Engineering.The workers had removed eight CO₂ cylinders and replaced them with new ones, while the old cylinders were kept in a pit in the basement. CO₂ began leaking from an expired cylinder while Thorat was fitting a cap on it, causing him and Sharma to suffocate to death.A report submitted by the deputy director of DISH following an inspection flagged several alleged safety lapses. According to the FIR, the company had not obtained the necessary permission to install the fire suppression system in the pit, which lacked an emergency exit and adequate ventilation, including exhaust fans or mechanical ventilation.Police alleged that officials failed to verify if the workers were trained and equipped with personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus kits before permitting the maintenance work. The prescribed standard operating procedures were allegedly not followed, and the required safety equipment was not provided.The report also highlighted the absence of a standby rescue team, which delayed rescue efforts. The furnace plant was expected to remain shut during maintenance of the fire suppression system. Investigators further cited the absence of trained experts to supervise the work and a lack of coordination among Schaeffler, Usha Fire Safety Equipment and Fernoteck Engineering as factors that contributed to the incident and hampered rescue operations.
