Case slapped on Dr Reddy's over fire deaths at Bollaram unit

The Directorate of Factories, Andhra Pradesh, has filed a second case against pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories over alleged safety-related lapses at its USFDA-certified manufacturing facility at Bollaram, in Medak district, a senior government official said today.

Two persons were charred to death in a fire at DRL's Bollaram plant on March 17.

The fire broke out in the material-handling lift area in G Block of the unit's API manufacturing facility at around 10 pm.

The deceased, K Govind Rao (34) of Srikakulam district and D Keshava (24) of Vizianagaram district, both casual workers, were carrying materials in the lift when electrical sparks led to the fire, which spread rapidly, according to the police.

According to the Director of Factories, G Bala Kishore, the department filed a case in connection with the incident in a Magistrate's court in Medak under the Factories Act, accusing the company of using unskilled workers for skilled jobs.

"We have filed cases under Sections 7 A (1) and 41 of Factories Act, 1948, and AP Factories Rules, 1950," Bala Kishore told PTI.

The sections pertain to employment of unskilled contract workers for core activities and for handling of hazardous materials without proper supervision.

Earlier, in March, authorities had filed a case against Dr Reddy's when two employees were killed due to excess inhalation of nitrogen in another USFDA-approved plant in the area last December.

A police official said the investigation into the fire incident would be complete soon.

"Preliminary investigation reveals that some static electricity might have developed and it caused a fire," the official said.

The police had registered a case under Section 304 A (causing death by negligence) against the DRL management in this regard.