New Delhi/Gurgaon, July 21
Concerned at the safety and security of its supervisory and management personnel, country’s largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) today declared a lockout at the violence-hit Manesar plant. No headway was made either in the arson probe or in the efforts to arrest those involved in the large-scale violence.

Addressing media in the presence of Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi, MSIL Chairman RC Bhargava said, "There is now a lockout. To me, what is more important is safety of my colleagues than producing some cars to make some money".

The lockout comes within days of workers at the state-of-the-art plant resorting to violence and injured over 95 management representatives besides killing one.

MSIL general manager, HR, Awanish Kumar Dev was burnt to death in the violence. Of the injured, 24 are still admitted to various hospitals with fractures on hands and legs and head injuries.

The plant was rocked by unexpected violence on Wednesday. The local police authorities have so far failed to make any in nabbing any of the 13 worker union leaders who have been absconding. Though the police has arrested more than 90 MSIL workers in connection with the case, the top office-bearers of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union, whose arrest may be crucial in bringing out the truth, are at large.

Despite the constitution of a Special Investigation Team, the police seems to be groping in the dark. Maruti officials claim that they had handed over the records of the absconding union leaders to the police.

The incident, which sent shock waves across the country, especially among the business community, has forced the MSIL management to take the tough decision whereby it would be incurring huge losses due to loss of production.

Asked how long the lockout will continue, Bhargava said, "Maruti is not closed... we will be very inefficient if we take six months. I don't think we are that bad...we will start at Manesar ".

Sources said the lockout at the plant could be for a period of three weeks to a month during which the company would not only carry out the re-construction work but would also study the reasons for the violence.

The company has already ordered an internal inquiry. Bhargava said the production will not resume till investigation into the incident is completed and corrective steps are taken to ensure that there is no recurrence of violence.

He denied that the company had any plans to shift its production facility out from Manesar.

"Talks of Maruti unit moving out of Manesar is an absolute fiction.... We are not moving the plant out of Manesar. Maruti is flag-bearer of industrialisation in Haryana. We can not be seen as someone sending wrong signal to other investors," Bhargava said.

However, sources said the construction work at the Gujarat facility would now be speeded up as the company wants to have an alternative plant in place so that its production, which also affects its supply chains, is not disrupted by any such incidents.

In this regard, Nakanishi is expected to meet Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Japan as he begins his visit to the country from tomorrow.

Bhargava said all the demands raised by the workers during the last year’s strike had been met and negotiations over the wages were under way.

Asked whether recognising the union was a wrong decision, he replied in the negative. On the contrary, he said it gave the workers a chance to express themselves.

Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 police personnel have been deployed to guard the MSIL plants at Manesar and Gurgaon, besides Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd. Deputy Commissioner of Police Maheshwar Dayal said police teams were conducting raids to nab the accused and trying to retrieve CCTV footage for leads.

However, according to sources, a big chunk of the CCTV records was destroyed in the arson at the plant campus.

Police authorities’ insistence on getting CCTV footage seems strange, especially as the company management has provided them complete addresses of the absconding union leaders.

According to official sources, a police team was present at the Manesar plant before the violence broke out. However, the police personnel present could not prevent the arson as they were outnumbered by workers.

Talk of the Maruti unit moving out of Manesar is absolute fiction... We are not moving the plant out of Manesar. Maruti is the flag-bearer of industrialisation in Haryana, we cannot be seen as someone sending a wrong signal to other investors
— RC Bhargava, MSIL Chairman