Police case against Jessop owner, directors

A day after the West Bengal government constituted a CID probe into the repeated cases of fire in the country's oldest engineering firm Jessop's factory premises, the police on Wednesday started a suo motu case against its owner Pawan Ruia and other directors.

Four people, allegedly burglars, have also been arrested for intruding into Jessop's factory near suburban Dumdum on Tuesday night, police said.

"We have enhanced the security arrangements inside factory premises and started ambush system by posting personnel in civil dress. Four burglars were arrested yesterday. Police will start a suo motu case against them as the factory owners have not lodged any FIR," Barrackpore City Police Commissioner Tanmay Roy Chowdhury said.

"Dumdum police station have also started a suo motu case against Jessop factory owner Pawan Kumar Ruia and other directors," he said.

The West Bengal government on Tuesday ordered a CID probe after repeated incidents of fire over the past one month in the Jessop factory premises.

On Tuesday, police accused Jessop owners of flouting High Court order to repair factory walls, clean bushes and make adequate lighting arrangements in the factory premises.

Ahead of the state assembly elections this year, the West Bengal government passed a bill to take over the Pawan Kumar Ruia group-controlled ailing industrial units -- Dunlop India and the 228-year old Jessop, a maker of wagons, EMU rakes and cranes.

Founded in 1788 as Breen and Company, the firm was re-christened Jessop in 1820.

The central government took over its management in 1958 and then the company as a whole in 1973. Over the years, the company turned loss making.

In 2003, the government sold its 72 percent stake to Ruia, who turned it into a profit making business within a short time. However, over the years, the firm fell into tough times.

The company was shut down indefinitely in 2014.

--IANS

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