2nd arrest in perfume factory fire case

Ambika Sharma

Solan, February 4

The Barotiwala police arrested deputy plant head Vinod Kumar of perfume manufacturing unit NR Aroma on Sunday evening taking the number of those arrested to two.

Vinod Kumar (41) hails from Pratap Nagar in Ratlam city of Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier, plant head Chandershekhar was arrested, on Saturday, for negligence.

An FIR was registered at Barotiwala police station under Section 285 (Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), Section 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others), Section 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and Section 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code after the factory was gutted in a massive blaze on Friday.

Five people have died while another five are missing.

Confirming the news, Additional SP Ashok Verma, said deputy plant head Vinod Kumar of NR Aroma was arrested on Sunday evening on the basis of statements of the workers who alleged his negligence as he was the overall incharge of the factory operations.

Though Kumar claims he was not present in the factory when the accident took place and was out for lunch, the workers contested his claim and said he was present there but did little help.

Two teams of police were raiding various places in Madhya Pradesh to search for the factory owner and other senior staff.