SC orders closure of steel mines owned by MP BJP legislator
Jabalpur: The Supreme Court has ordered the closure of two mines belonging to steel baron Sanjay Pathak who was a minister in the previous BJP government in Madhya Pradesh.
The two mines in Sihora area were closed on directions of district official Bharat Yadav on Saturday. The mines are spread across an area of 52 hectares.
The district administration has formed a six-member committee to probe the matter and submit a report to the apex court.
Sources said the apex court is considering a petition contending that the mining is being carried out not on commercial land but on forest land. The forest department had also raised concerns over damage to the environment due to the mining and called for closure of the mines.
Pathak was earlier with the Congress and later quit the party and joined the BJP of which he is now a legislator and was also a minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.
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Chhattisgarh: FIR against Vedanta group chairman Anil Agarwal, others after blast kills 20 workers
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The Chhattisgarh police on Thursday registered an FIR against Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal and others in connection with the blast at the firm's power plant in Sakti district that claimed 20 lives, an official said.
The explosion occurred on April 14 at the Vedanta plant in Singhitarai village when a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine burst, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries. The incident claimed 20 lives and left 16 persons injured.
A case has been registered at Dabhra police station under sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sakti Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur said.
"Eight to ten individuals, including Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal, have been named in the FIR. If more persons are found responsible during the investigation, their names will be added," Thakur told PTI.
Investigation into the incident is underway and several reports are awaited, including post-mortem reports of the deceased and findings from the forensic science laboratory and the industrial health and safety department, he said.
"A technical team has also been constituted to probe the cause of the blast. Further sections will be added if required after all reports are received," the SP said.
Following the incident, the opposition Congress had demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into it.
