Schaeffler India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Harsha Gopal Kadam was arrested on Monday in connection with a factory accident in Pune’s Talegaon, that killed two workers in June, the company said a filing with the stock exchanges on Tuesday.
On June 9, a “sudden and intense” carbon dioxide gas leak during a scheduled cylinder replacement at Schaeffler India’s Talegaon factory, killed two workers and affected three others, The Indian Express reported.
Schaeffler India manufactures automotive and industrial components, including bearings and precision machinery parts. It is the Indian subsidiary of the German Schaeffler Group.
The police had registered a case in July against six persons, including company officials and representatives of contractors involved in maintaining the factory’s fire-suppression system.
Kadam was taken into custody by the Talegaon MIDC Police Station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the company said on Tuesday.
It said that Kadam was included in the investigation on the grounds that he is considered the factory’s “occupier” under the law.
According to the 1948 Factories Act, Kadam is considered the factory’s “occupier” because of his position as its chief executive officer and managing director, making him responsible for overseeing its operations.
The first information report had alleged that the fire-suppression system at the factory had no emergency exit and that sufficient...