The accused were booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Two other accused were wanted in the case, police said.
Based on a complaint filed by Rajesh Pirana, Halvad police booked Afzal Ghoniya, the owner of the Sagar Chem Food Industries (SCFI) and his brother Waris alias Devo Dhoniya, who looks after administration and stacking and loading of salt bags. The police also booked Rajeshkumar Jain, Kishanram Chaudhary and his brother Atmaram Chaudhary who, too, have stakes in the factory and are associated with the administration. Three supervisors at the factory—Sanjay Khatri, Manoj Sanura and Asif Nurabhai, too, have been booked.
Buy Now | Our best subscription plan now has a special price
The eight have been booked under IPC Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) as well as Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act for allegedly employing children in the factory.
Afzal, Waris, Atmaram, Sanjay, Manu and Ashik Nurabhai were arrested Friday. “We are interrogating the six accused and investigation is on,” KJ Mathukiya, police inspector of Halvad, said.
Rajesh Pirana’s father Ramesh Pirana and sister Kajal Pirana were among those killed in the incident that occurred Wednesday morning.
The labourers were killed after a wall of a shade under which they were working collapsed. In his complaint, Rajesh stated the accused constructed the wall without a foundation and stacked salt bags alongside. Rajesh, who is also a worker at the factory, further stated that pressure created by the stacks of salt bags caused the wall to fall, killing all the accused on the spot.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had visited the factory after the incident and sought a report from the administration within three days.