Outdated machinery, ignored warnings may have caused deadly blast at Sigachi Industries unit, alleges FIR

The Sangareddy police have registered a case against the management of Sigachi Industries Ltd following a deadly explosion at its Pashamylaram unit that claimed 40 lives and injured nearly as many. The case has been filed under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 117 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint filed by a victim’s family member.

According to the FIR, cited by PTI, workers had repeatedly informed the management about the risks of using outdated machinery, but their concerns were ignored. “The complainant's father and other employees of the Sigachi company already informed the Sigachi Company management several times regarding change of machinery as they are too old and every possibility of danger may occur and cause heavy loss to the property and men,” the FIR said.

The complaint was lodged by Yashwanth Rajanala, whose father, Rajanala Venkat Jagan Mohan, had worked at the unit for two decades. Yashwanth said his father had shared his safety concerns with the family as well. The explosion occurred at around 9:30 am, and he was informed by his uncle, Ram Mohan Rao, shortly after. When he reached the Government Area Hospital in Patancheru, he found his father’s body among the deceased.


A Telangana Fire Department official confirmed that the unit did not have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department and lacked basic fire safety infrastructure. “There is a process for obtaining a No Objection Certificate. It is an online process. Once any firm applies online, a committee will decide on it. This unit has not applied for any NOC and hence we have not issued,” PTI quoted the official as saying.

Investigations into the cause of the explosion and potential violations are still underway.

(With inputs from PTI)