Owner, who 'forced' workers to clean septic tank, arrested

The owner of a semi-built plot, where two workers died while cleaning a septic tank, was arrested for alleged negligence, police said on Wednesday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the family members of the victims in the evening and promised a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased.

The BJP accused the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation of negligence, while the National Human Rights Commission sought a report from the Delhi government, the police and chief secretary.

Earlier on Tuesday, two contractual workers died and three others were hospitalised after apparently inhaling toxic gas when they entered a septic tank of the plot at Bhagya Vihar area of Prem Nagar in Rohini.

"Gulam Mustafa, the owner of the semi-built plot, has been arrested late on Tuesday night," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) S D Mishra said.

The plot has a 10-foot-deep septic tank, in which Mustafa and a mason named Rambir allegedly asked two labourers to go inside for cleaning on Tuesday. The labourers refused to clean the tank since they were not trained, but they were forced to enter after being blackmailed with not getting paid three days of wages, the police had said.

According to Jaya Vardha, elder sister of one of the deceased: "The chief minister met us on Wednesday at around 6 pm and assured that the family of the deceased persons would get Rs 10 lakh and jobs."