Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to three accused in connection with the devastating explosion at the SBL Energy Ltd plant in Raulgaon, Nagpur district, which killed at least 26 people last month. However, the court rejected similar relief for five other individuals.
Court's Decision
Justice Rajnish Vyas allowed the pre-arrest bail applications of independent directors Ravindra Pokharna, Satyavati Parashar, and Manoj Kumar Prasad. In contrast, the court refused relief to senior executives Kedar Pachputre, Alok Awasthi, Shravan Kumar, Alok Chaudhary, and Sanjay Chaudhary, noting that the nature of allegations and material on record did not warrant protection from arrest in their cases.
Arguments Presented
During the hearing, the defense argued for protection from arrest, while the prosecution opposed the pleas, citing the severity of negligence and its fatal consequences. After evaluating submissions, the court granted partial relief, allowing anticipatory bail to three applicants while declining it for the remaining five. Lawyers Amol Mardikar and Aditya Chaudhary represented the accused.
The Incident
The explosion, which occurred on March 1, is among the deadliest industrial accidents in recent years, raising concerns at both state and national levels about the enforcement of industrial safety norms. According to police investigations, the company was allegedly in serious violation of safety standards, a finding corroborated by reports from the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation.
Safety Lapses Identified
These reports highlighted multiple lapses, including the absence of risk assessment, inadequate firefighting systems, failure to appoint safety officers, and lack of proper training for workers. Authorities linked these deficiencies directly to the scale of the disaster.
