Hyderabad: Police arrested Sigachi Industries’ MD and CEO, Amritesh Sinha, in connection with the Sigachi fire incident at Pasamailaram industrial area. The arrest followed court directions after questions were raised about the delay in prosecuting those responsible. Sinha was produced before a magistrate and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody at Kandi jail.
The explosion, which occurred on June 30, killed 46 workers. Eight others remain untraceable. Victims’ families had earlier filed a complaint at Bhanur police station, alleging the company’s negligence led to the blast. A petition was also filed by local advocate Baburao, seeking swift legal action and compensation for affected families.
Court pressure prompts compensation release
Police had registered a case under BNS Sections 105, 110, 118(1), and 118(2). The court questioned why no arrests had been made and directed a full investigation. In response, the company released ₹42 lakh each to the families of the 46 deceased and ₹25 lakh each to the families of the eight missing workers.
Following further court intervention, the Labour Department recently distributed another ₹17 lakh to each of the eight families. While the government had earlier promised ₹1 crore per family, full clarity on the remaining amount is still awaited.
Both a technical committee and a high-level panel confirmed the company’s negligence as the cause of the incident. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited the site shortly after the blast and promised action. Following Sinha’s arrest, the company issued a statement saying it would fully cooperate with legal proceedings.