The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail petitions filed by a couple, G. Ramanathan and R. Panchavarnam. An explosion at the cracker tube making unit owned by the couple in Sivakasi, Virudhunagar district resulted in the death of two workers last year.
Justice G. Ilangovan observed that the occurrence required a proper investigation by subjecting the petitioners to custodial interrogation. From where the raw materials were purchased and how many times such sort of illegal activities had taken place should be thoroughly probed. No lenient view could be taken in this regard, the judge said.
According to the prosecution, the Village Administrative Officer received information that there was an explosion at the house of the petitioners. When the VAO went to the place of the occurrence, he found that two persons had sustained injuries in the explosion and they were admitted to Government Hospital in Sivakasi. Subsequently, two female workers Kartheeswari and Hameeda died in the fire accident.
The court had dismissed the earlier anticipatory bail petitions and observed that the place of the occurrence was known for preparing / manufacturing firecrackers without proper licence. Many such incidents were happening frequently. The court said that it cannot take a lenient view of such incidents. A stringent action was required to curtail the illegal activities which endangered the life of innocent people, the judge said.
