New Delhi: The Supreme Court today granted
bail to three officials of the Bharat Aluminium Corporation
(BALCO), Chattisgarh, charged with culpable homicide not
amounting to murder for the death of over 40 workers in the
company's chimney plant in November last year.
A bench of Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar said
the accused...Viral Mehta vice president, Deepak Narang,
general manager and Anup Mahapatra, a graduate engineer, shall
be released on bail on furnishing personal bonds and the
sureties to the satisfaction of the sessions court.
About 40 people died on November 16, 2009, when the
company's chimney plant, which was being commissioned
exploded.
The apex court granted bail after senior counsel C A
Sundaram, appearing for the accused, made a plea on the
condition that the chargsheet had already been filed in the
case and arguments almost concluded in the case. He submitted
no purpose would be served by their continued detention in the
jail.
Chattisgarh government counsel Atul Jha, however, opposed
bail saying the officials had the propensity to influence the
witness, tamper with the evidence and might even flee from the
law.
However, the apex court, after hearing both the sides,
decided to grant the bail.
-PTI
First Published: Saturday, February 20, 2010, 00:37