Pune: Eight MNC workers get Covid-19, CEO booked

PUNE: The Pune rural police have sealed the manufacturing plant of a multinational company at Varve Budruk, about 30km from Pune, near Khed Shivapur in Bhor taluka, and registered an offence against its India CEO, HR manager and two others for negligence after eight of its workers tested positive for Covid-19. The police also declared the plant as a containment zone.
The FIR was registered on Wednesday after the gram panchayat’s rural development officer lodged a complaint.
“One of the firm’s Pune-based workers had Covid-19 symptoms in the third week of June and yet he reported for duty. On June 25, he tested positive, but the company officials did not inform the local authorities and the police nor did they inform the other workers. On June 27, another 16 workers developed nCoV symptoms. The following day, the company officials alerted the local authorities. Seven of the 16 tested positive and the results of nine are awaited,” assistant inspector Dattatreya Darade of Rajgad police told TOI.
A senior officer of the company, which designs and manufactures mechanical seals and support equipment, refuted the police’s version.
She told TOI over phone, “The worker, who tested positive first, did not show any symptoms. On June 22, he took a half-day leave complaining of backache. On June 25, he informed us that he had tested positive for Covid-19. Our management informed the local gram panchayat and the police about him and we stopped production from Monday.”
She said the company conducts medical tests of its workers every fortnight. “The worker who tested positive on June 25 had undergone tests in the company about a week ago. His reports were normal. On the day he left, his body temperature was normal,” the officer said.
She added, “Our company follows social distancing norms, has changed the lunch time and provided masks and most of our staff is working from home. Only those whose presence is required come to the company.”
The rural development officer, who lodged the FIR, told TOI, “I have acted on my seniors’ instructions. The management of the company informed me about the positive cases on June 28. The next day, senior officials from the district administration reached the company. The health department staff too was there. They conducted tests for all employees and seven tested positive.”
The police have invoked offences punishable under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC and relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Diseases Act and Covid-19 Rules.