Mumbai: Two days after over 200 people
were affected by colour poisoning on the Holi day here, police on Saturday arrested five former workers of an abandoned dye factory
in suburban Dharavai in connection with the incident.
Among those who took ill on Thursday were many
children in the age group of 9-10 years who complained of
giddiness and vomitting soon after they traded toxic colours
in Shastrinagar area of suburban Dharavi.
The affected persons were rushed to various civic
hospitals in the city after they developed allergic reactions.
Abdul Gaffar Abdul Satar Siddique (43), a resident of
Mahim, Mushtaq Ahmed (38), Hayat Mohammad Tir Mohammad Sheikh
(36), Mohram Ali Abdul Zabar Siddique (42) and Mohammad
Shafique Abdul Zafar Siddique (35)--all residents of Mankhurd,
were arrested today, police said.
They are former workers of an abandoned dye factory
located in Shastrinagar area, believed to be the source of the
toxic colour.
The arrested accused used to work at the now defunct
unit from where the affected kids are believed to have
collected the chemicals mistaking them for colours on the day
of the incident.
"The kids collected colours from the abandoned colour
dye factory", police said.
When the said structure was demolished, the chemicals
should have been disposed of but rather were dumped there. The
children who went to the factory mistook it for colours, they
said, adding some of the hues were even sold at cheap rates in
the market.
Soon after the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister
Prithviraj Chavan had ordered a detailed probe by a six-member
committee into the incident.
The six-member team is headed by Medical Education
Department`s Secretary, I S Chahal, and will submit its report
in two weeks. The committee will fix responsibility and
suggest preventive measures.
PTI
