Maharashtra Labour Department orders probe into Pune bus fire tragedy

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], March 21 (ANI): The Maharashtra Government's Labour Department has initiated an inquiry into a tragic bus fire incident in the Hinjewadi area of Pune district that claimed the lives of four employees of the factory.
Additional Labour Commissioner Abhay Gite said on Friday that a thorough investigation would be conducted to ascertain compliance with labour laws at the factory in question.
"As far as the Labour Department is concerned, we have sent our officials to the concerned factory, and we are going to investigate it under various labour laws. If we find any violations or non-compliance, we are going to prosecute them," Gite told ANI.
The tragedy has prompted the department to prioritize the welfare of the deceased workers' families.
Authorities have assured that the necessary benefits under the Workmen's Compensation Act would be provided. "We have informed the Workmen's Compensation Commissioner through a letter this morning to ensure that the families receive the benefits as expected," Additional Labour Commissioner Gite added.
The investigation will also examine other aspects, including whether payments and bonuses were appropriately disbursed to the workers and whether the factory adhered to regulations under the Motor Transport Vehicle Act for its transport vehicles. "If any violations of labour laws are found, we will take action against the factory," he said.
Four employees of Vyoma Graphics, based in the Hinjawadi area of Pune district were killed in the fire incident on Wednesday. Six others also sustained injuries in the fire.
According to Pimpri Chinchwad police, the bus driver, identified as Janardan Hambardikar, allegedly "premeditated" the incident. Tragically, the emergency exit door at the rear of the bus could not be opened, contributing to the fatalities.
The victims, identified as Shankar Shinde, Rajan Chavan, Gurudas Lokare, and Subhash Bhosale, were among the 14 employees being transported from Warje to Hinjawadi.
Following these revelations, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police filed an FIR against the bus driver Hambardikar, charging him under Sections 103 and 105 of the BNS. The accused has been arrested, and further investigations are underway.
Police investigations suggest that the bus driver harboured grievances against his colleagues and was enraged over not receiving his salary on time, the lack of a Diwali bonus, extra work, and daily disputes with his co-workers. This led him to orchestrate the incident as an act of revenge, they said.
Meanwhile, a team of Pimpri Chinchwad Police also reached the Vyoma Factory for the investigation on Friday.
Niten Shah, the factory owner of Vyoma Graphics told reporters, "I am in shock... A police investigation is ongoing. We are fully cooperating with the Police. We are helping the injured get medical treatment. We are taking care of everyone (the employees who were on the bus)." 0
"They are all like an extended family to us... The driver's salary is not pending," he added. (ANI)