Ice factory proprietor, officials booked in ammonia leak case

The Commissionerate Police have booked factory owner Ninni Kumar Jain and unnamed officials from various departments in connection with the ammonia leak at Jain Ice Factory in Jalandhar, which claimed the life of a 68-year-old migrant worker, Sheetal Singh, on Sunday. The officials involved are from the Municipal Corporation, factory department, industry department, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited and the pollution department.

The FIR was registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the BNS on the night of September 21 at Police Station Division No. 3. It highlights that the factory, situated in a congested residential area, poses a significant risk to the local population. The FIR questions how permissions were granted for the factory’s establishment in such an area and alleges collusion among officials, as the factory was set up without the necessary approvals.

The Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Swapan Sharma, stated that it was premature to identify the officials involved as the investigation is ongoing. He assured that the factory owner, currently at large, will be apprehended soon.

A sudden ammonia gas leak occurred at Jain Ice Factory, located near Domoria Bridge on Old Railway Road, leading to widespread panic. Several people experienced suffocation and collapsed near the factory. The area was sealed off, traffic was diverted, and fire and disaster management teams were dispatched to the scene. Emergency response teams rescued several workers from the factory.

SDM-I Jalandhar, Jain Inder Singh, has been assigned to conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident. The authorities are now focusing on determining how such a hazardous factory was allowed to operate in a residential area, potentially endangering the lives of the surrounding community.