One year on, trial yet to begin in IOC fire case
Jaipur   29-Oct-2010

A year after the devastating blaze at the IOC depot in Sitapura Industrial Area, about 15 km from Jaipur city, the trial is yet to start.

Though nine IOC officials were arrested, eight of them are out on bail.

Now Alka Kumar and Savita Saroha, the widows of Ravindra Kumar and SK Saroha who were killed in the fire, have moved court seeking cancellation of bail of the IOC officials.

"We will also move the High Court after Diwali vacation seeking directions to transfer the case to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation as we feel the probe by the Rajasthan police cannot be impartial as three senior officers are accused for negligence of duty after the fire," said Mahendra Gaur, the Lawyer for the two women.

IOC officials - Rajasthan General Manager Gautam Bose, terminal manager KS Kanojia, chief manager Rajesh Sial, Terminal manager Arun Poddar, deputy terminal manager Kapil Goyal, Operations manager Shashank Shekhar, operations officer Ashok Kumar Gupta, chargeman Kailash Nath Agarwal and DGM pipeline SS Gupta were arrested on July 2.

But on July 7, eight except Ashok Kumar Gupta, were given bail. Gupta filed for bail on October 27 and Alka Kumar and Savita Sarolia opposed this. The court allowed the application and observed that the women be represented through their counsel who will assist the Public Prosecutor in opposing bail, said Gaur.

The women have alleged that some senior IOC officers have tried to put pressure on them and said that that if they opposed Gupta's bail, the women might lose benefits they are getting.

"They were in touch with me since one month. After they went to court, a team of IOC officials pressurised them to withdraw their case", said Gaur.

Gaur says he has been waging a battle against “attempts by the government and IOC” to bury the case. The fire that blazed for 10 days on October 29 killed 11 persons.