Hyderabad, Aug 22: Two people were killed, and several others were seriously injured after a reactor blast triggered a fire at a pharmaceutical unit in Telangana’s Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, officials said on Saturday.

According to the police, the incident occurred late on Friday night while workers were changing shifts.

The pharma company is located in the Pochampally mandal area, according to police.

“A tragic industrial accident occurred late on Friday night at Hazelo Lab Private Limited, a pharma unit near Dothigudem in Pochampally mandal. A reactor explosion resulted in the deaths of two employees and left several others injured,” an official told media.

Upon receiving the information, police and the fire department, along with rescue and relief officials, reached the spot, officials said.

They added that the workers were rescued and the injured were admitted to the nearest hospitals for treatment. Two were declared dead by the medical officials.

The blaze triggered by the blast was brought under control by the fire officials.

Police said that a case has been registered and an investigation into the incident is underway.

The cause of the blast is unknown, and officials are investigating to determine what could have led to the tragedy, police said.

Further details are awaited.

In a separate incident, a blast occurred at a factory in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, killing three engineers and leaving one injured.

The explosion occurred late on Friday at Maa Chhinnamastika Cement and Ispat Private Limited, a sponge-iron factory located in Hehal, under Patratu block of the Ramgarh district, officials said.

According to officials, the fire broke out during production work at the power plant site of the factory. This caused panic among the workers in the night shift.

Upon receiving the information, police and the fire department arrived at the scene and rescued the workers. However, three engineers and the workers were trapped inside the factory.

The injured have been shifted to the nearest hospital.

The factory management has said that the cause of the blast is likely overheating in the plant.

New Delhi, Aug 22: Preliminary tests for alcohol and drugs have returned negative for 21-year-old Lingamaneni Sanjush, the son of Andhra Pradesh Rajya Sabha MP, Lingamaneni Ramesh, following a fatal Aston Martin accident in Hyderabad.

The accident took place near Inorbit Mall on August 16, when Sanjush was allegedly driving the luxury car. The vehicle struck 26-year-old Bharati Mukhi, a sales executive, leaving her critically injured. She was rushed to Apollo Hospital for treatment but was declared dead on arrival, according to police.

Investigators said Sanjush was allegedly driving at a high speed in a rash and negligent manner at the time of the collision. The Aston Martin has been seized and examined by a Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI), while the authorities are awaiting the inspection report.

Police said that despite the negative preliminary screening for alcohol and narcotic substances, Sanjush’s blood samples have been forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for detailed analysis. The final forensic findings, along with the MVI inspection report and the victim’s post-mortem report, are expected to play an important role in the ongoing investigation.

A case has been registered under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing death through a rash or negligent act. The provision carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison.

Police said Sanjush was not arrested immediately because the evidence available at that stage did not justify custodial action. Instead, he was issued a notice under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and directed to cooperate with investigators.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police dismissed allegations that Sanjush received preferential treatment because of political connections or outside pressure. The officer maintained that the action taken by police was in line with legal provisions and Supreme Court guidelines governing arrests.

Police added that Sanjush could be arrested later if additional evidence or the findings of the investigation warrant such action. Investigators are continuing to collect forensic, technical and other evidence to establish the precise circumstances surrounding the crash.

The Aston Martin involved in the accident was reportedly not registered in Sanjush’s name. Meanwhile, Sanjush has maintained that he did not leave the scene after the collision. He claimed that he helped take Bharati to the hospital and subsequently cooperated with the police probe.

Following the post-mortem examination, Bharati’s body was handed over to her brother and later taken to Odisha. Her post-mortem report is still awaited.

Bharati was reportedly the sole earning member of her family. Her death has led to calls for financial assistance for her family as the investigation into the fatal accident continues.

New Delhi, Aug 22: In a major breakthrough against long-evading fugitives, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a proclaimed offender who had been absconding for nearly 15 years in connection with an extortion case, officials said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as 72-year-old Hari Singh Shekhawat, a resident of Rajasthan’s Jaipur, was arrested by a team of the South-Western Range (SWR) of the Special Cell following an extensive inter-state search spanning Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The case dates back to 2008, when Shekhawat allegedly attempted to extort money from a prominent multinational garment company while he was employed with the firm. Following the incident, a case was registered against him at the Special Cell police station under Sections 384, 389, 506 and 511 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to officials, Shekhawat subsequently failed to appear before the court on multiple occasions and continued to evade the legal proceedings. Due to his persistent non-appearance, the court declared him a Proclaimed Offender on April 2, 2016.

In view of the recent efforts to track down absconding criminals and fugitives involved in sensational crimes, a team of the SWR/Special Cell was constituted to pursue such offenders and prevent them from committing further crimes.

The team was led by Inspector Sandeep Yadav and Inspector Neeraj Kumar under the supervision of ACP Puran Chandra Pant. The officers deployed extensive human surveillance and conducted sustained efforts to establish the whereabouts of criminals who had been evading arrest for prolonged periods.

“Consequent to the rigorous groundwork for more than one month, it was established that initially, he had shifted to Gujarat to avoid legal proceedings in this case and later on, shifted to Rajasthan,” officials said.

Investigators found that Shekhawat had initially moved to Gujarat in an attempt to avoid the legal proceedings arising from the extortion case. He subsequently shifted to Rajasthan, where he remained under the radar and continued to evade arrest for several years.

On August 13, the Special Cell team received credible information that the absconder was hiding in Jaipur, Rajasthan, in an attempt to avoid being arrested in the long-pending case.

Following the information, a dedicated raiding team was immediately formed and sent to Jaipur.

The police team carried out an intensive search operation in Jaipur and eventually confirmed that the accused was residing inside a residential society in the city. After verifying his presence and establishing his identity, the team apprehended Shekhawat from the residential premises.

The accused was subsequently arrested in accordance with the provisions of law, officials said, bringing to an end his prolonged period of evasion from the authorities.

Police officials said the arrest was the result of sustained surveillance, intelligence gathering and coordinated efforts across multiple states to locate the accused, who had repeatedly changed his place of residence to remain away from the legal process.

Hari Singh Shekhawat is a graduate of XLRI and has worked with several renowned multinational corporations in senior positions during his professional career.

According to officials, he was working with a prominent garment multinational company when he allegedly attempted to extort money from the firm in 2008.