Pune candle factory fire: HC grants interim protection from arrest to land owner
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to a 61-year-old woman owner of a land in Maharashtra's Pune district where a fire at a candle manufacturing factory last month killed 14 people.
A single bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal on Tuesday granted the interim protection to Jannat Shikalgar till February 6 and sought the prosecution's response to her plea seeking pre-arrest bail in the case.
Shikalgar has been charged by the Dehu Road police at Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district under Indian Penal Code sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material and explosive substance and causing hurt, as well as provisions of the Explosives Act.
The fire following a blast at the sparkling candles manufacturing factory on December 8, 2023 claimed 14 lives.
Shikalgar is the owner of the land where the factory is located. Apart from Shikalgar, the FIR also named her husband and the factory owner.
In her plea, filed through advocate Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh, Shikalgar said she had given the land on the leave and license basis to the factory owner for a period of three years from June 2023 and all requisite licenses were to be obtained by the licensee.
Deshmukh argued that Shikalgar cannot be held responsible for any lapse.
He also submitted to the court that Shikalgar suffers from paralysis and hence custodial interrogation was not required.
The bench adjourned the matter till February 6 after the prosecution sought time but granted interim protection from arrest to Shikalgar until then.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
