Three laborers die in Mundka septic tank, factory owner and two others arrested

Three laborers died after inhaling toxic fumes inside a septic tank at a factory in the Mundka Industrial Area, West Delhi, on Friday afternoon. The incident occurred at Marwah Printers, located on Street No. 1, and has led to the arrest of the factory owner, a factory employee, and a contractor.

The deceased workers have been identified as Chand, 42, Arun, 38, and Sandeep, 32. All three victims were residents of Indra Jheel in Sultanpuri. Their families alleged that the men were sent inside the septic tank without any safety gear.

The Mundka police station received a PCR call at 12:09 PM on Friday, stating that three men who had entered the tank to clean it had fallen inside. A senior police officer stated that Marwah Printers had hired a contractor, Neeraj, who is a resident of Nangloi, to clean the septic tank on the factory premises.

According to the families of the victims, Chand was the first worker to be sent inside the tank. This occurred after the pumps failed to extract the remaining gunk that was stuck at the bottom of the tank. Police said that the other workers then entered the tank one after another in a desperate bid to save each other. Neeraj was also engaged in the cleaning work at the time of the incident.

Following the fatalities, the police arrested three individuals in connection with the case. Those arrested are Suraj Marwah, 50, the factory owner; Jayant, 61, an employee at the factory; and Neeraj, 25, the contractor and owner of the pumping vehicle.

The three accused have been booked under sections 106 (death due to negligence) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Additionally, they face charges under Section 9 of the Prohibition of Manual Scavenging Act and relevant sections of the SC/ST Act.