The manager and the delivery boy of a gas agency were arrested on Sunday in connection with the LPG blaze tragedy which claimed the lives of a man and his daughter at R.S.Mangalam near here on Saturday. The R.S.Mangalam Special Sub-Inspector of Police and a constable of the Armed Reserve Police were transferred for dereliction of duty.
Superintendent of Police N.M.Mylvahanan, who ordered an enquiry into the mishap, told The Hindu that Sampath Kumar, manager of Bharat Gas agency, and Muniasamy, the delivery boy, were arrested under Sections 304 part II (action done without an intention to cause death) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC. They were produced before a Magistrate Court, and remanded in judicial custody.
Enquiries revealed that Muniasamy delivered the cylinder, which had a defective washer, and it started leaking after it was fitted at the victims’ house on Friday evening. When the son of the man killed in the accident switched on a light after sensing gas leak, a fire broke out, killing two of the four family members sleeping in the house.
In an effort to destroy evidence, Sampath Kumar and Muniasamy took away the cylinder kept at the R.S.Mangalam police station on Sunday on the pretext of checking its weight, and returned it after filling it with gas and replacing the defective washer, the SP said.
Taking serious exception to Special Sub-Inspector Kannusamy and Head Constable Devendran allowing the two to take away the cylinder from the police station, the SP transferred them to the Armed Reserve Police on Sunday afternoon.
The SP said it was a serious lapse on their part and they could not plead ignorance as the cylinder was a vital evidence in the case.
He would take serious action against the duo after a detailed enquiry on Monday, he added.
Thiruvadanai Inspector of Police, holding additional charge as R S Mangalam Inspector, had gone on medical leave, and he too submitted a petition to the SP to take action against the two for allowing the gas agency manager to carry the cylinder from the police station without informing him or the Sub-Inspector of Police.
