The incident began on June 30, 2025, when a catastrophic explosion and fire at Sigachi Industries' manufacturing plant in the Pashamylaram industrial area of Sangareddy district, Telangana, killed 54 people and injured several others. In the last week of December 2025, the story turned from tragedy to accountability: police arrested Sigachi's Managing Director and CEO, Amit Raj Sinha, and he was sent to judicial custody, with reporting describing the arrest as linked to alleged negligence. Around the same period, families of missing workers - whose bodies were not recovered - were issued death certificates at the Sangareddy collectorate, a bureaucratic act that sounds simple until you realise what it unlocks: insurance claims, property transfers, school admissions, bank processes, survival. Reports also show families saying they received Rs 25 lakh so far and are still waiting on the remainder of a Rs 1 crore compensation promise, while some faced errors even in basic documents like addresses.
The emotional violence here is not only the blast. It is the months after. Imagine being a spouse who cannot "prove death" because there is no body, no certificate, no closure. Imagine a mother who cannot access compensation because one field on a government document is wrong. Imagine workers in similar factories watching the news and thinking: "If something happens to me, will my family also spend six months begging for paperwork?" This is how safety failures multiply - they don't just kill, they destabilise entire families and poison trust in employers. And for employees still showing up to work in industrial clusters, the fear is sharp: leadership will hold townhalls about "support", but the support arrives as cheques and press lines, not as prevention. That gap - between condolence and control - is what creates anger that doesn't fade.
For HR and compliance leaders, the operational takeaway is ruthless: when fatalities happen, the system will examine who knew, who signed, who inspected, who trained, who documented, and who ignored. Under Indian labour and safety frameworks (Factories Act, Employees' Compensation, ESI, contractor compliance, and now OSHWC Code directionally), the employer's duty is not merely to respond - it is to prove prevention, competence, and continuous improvement. The arrest of a CEO is a signal that senior leadership is not automatically insulated when safety collapses. HR must stop being "only people-process" and become a co-owner of safety governance: contractor onboarding that verifies training, skills and PPE issuance; incident registers that are audited; emergency drills that are real; medical response tie-ups; and a compensation process that is transparent, timely, and documented so families are not re-traumatised by delay. The compliance lesson is not "avoid jail" - it is "build a workplace where no family needs a death certificate to fight for dignity."
Source: @IndianExpress, @TOI, @NewIndianExpress (Sigachi blast accountability, compensation and death certificate updates, Dec 28-31, 2025)
When a tragedy forces accountability at the CEO level, what does it say about the organisation's safety culture - and how far up the chain "duty of care" should truly go?
What would a serious prevention-first compliance framework look like in a high-risk plant: independent safety audits, contractor controls, leading indicators, whistleblower pathways, board reporting, or something even stricter?
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)
7The emotional violence here is not only the blast. It is the months after. Imagine being a spouse who cannot "prove death" because there is no body, no certificate, no closure. Imagine a mother who cannot access compensation because one field on a government document is wrong. Imagine workers in similar factories watching the news and thinking: "If something happens to me, will my family also spend six months begging for paperwork?" This is how safety failures multiply - they don't just kill, they destabilise entire families and poison trust in employers. And for employees still showing up to work in industrial clusters, the fear is sharp: leadership will hold townhalls about "support", but the support arrives as cheques and press lines, not as prevention. That gap - between condolence and control - is what creates anger that doesn't fade.
For HR and compliance leaders, the operational takeaway is ruthless: when fatalities happen, the system will examine who knew, who signed, who inspected, who trained, who documented, and who ignored. Under Indian labour and safety frameworks (Factories Act, Employees' Compensation, ESI, contractor compliance, and now OSHWC Code directionally), the employer's duty is not merely to respond - it is to prove prevention, competence, and continuous improvement. The arrest of a CEO is a signal that senior leadership is not automatically insulated when safety collapses. HR must stop being "only people-process" and become a co-owner of safety governance: contractor onboarding that verifies training, skills and PPE issuance; incident registers that are audited; emergency drills that are real; medical response tie-ups; and a compensation process that is transparent, timely, and documented so families are not re-traumatised by delay. The compliance lesson is not "avoid jail" - it is "build a workplace where no family needs a death certificate to fight for dignity."
Source: @IndianExpress, @TOI, @NewIndianExpress (Sigachi blast accountability, compensation and death certificate updates, Dec 28-31, 2025)
When a tragedy forces accountability at the CEO level, what does it say about the organisation's safety culture - and how far up the chain "duty of care" should truly go?
What would a serious prevention-first compliance framework look like in a high-risk plant: independent safety audits, contractor controls, leading indicators, whistleblower pathways, board reporting, or something even stricter?
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
The arrest of Sigachi's CEO signifies a severe lapse in the organisation's safety culture. It suggests that the duty of care, which should extend from the lowest levels of an organisation to the very top, has been neglected. This incident serves as a stark reminder that safety is not merely an operational issue, but a critical responsibility that can have severe legal and human consequences if ignored.
Under Indian labour laws, the employer's duty is to ensure the safety and well-being of its employees. This includes complying with the Factories Act, Employees' Compensation Act, ESI, and other relevant regulations. These laws mandate the employer to not only respond to accidents but also to demonstrate preventive measures, competence, and continuous improvement in safety practices.
A serious prevention-first compliance framework in a high-risk plant would involve several key components.
1. Independent Safety Audits: Regular, independent safety audits can help identify potential hazards and assess the effectiveness of safety measures in place.
2. Contractor Controls: Contractors should be properly onboarded with verified training, skills, and PPE issuance.
3. Leading Indicators: Monitoring leading indicators, such as near misses, can help predict and prevent accidents.
4. Whistleblower Pathways: Establishing clear, confidential channels for employees to report safety concerns can encourage early detection of safety issues.
5. Board Reporting: Regular safety reports to the board can ensure that safety remains a top priority at the highest level of the organisation.
6. Stricter Measures: Depending on the nature of the plant, stricter measures may be necessary. This could include specialised training, stricter safety protocols, or advanced safety equipment.
In conclusion, the key to avoiding such tragedies is to build a culture of safety where every individual, from the CEO to the newest employee, understands and takes responsibility for safety. This involves not just complying with laws and regulations, but going beyond them to ensure that no family needs a death certificate to fight for dignity.
From India, Gurugram
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Under Indian labour laws, the employer's duty is to ensure the safety and well-being of its employees. This includes complying with the Factories Act, Employees' Compensation Act, ESI, and other relevant regulations. These laws mandate the employer to not only respond to accidents but also to demonstrate preventive measures, competence, and continuous improvement in safety practices.
A serious prevention-first compliance framework in a high-risk plant would involve several key components.
1. Independent Safety Audits: Regular, independent safety audits can help identify potential hazards and assess the effectiveness of safety measures in place.
2. Contractor Controls: Contractors should be properly onboarded with verified training, skills, and PPE issuance.
3. Leading Indicators: Monitoring leading indicators, such as near misses, can help predict and prevent accidents.
4. Whistleblower Pathways: Establishing clear, confidential channels for employees to report safety concerns can encourage early detection of safety issues.
5. Board Reporting: Regular safety reports to the board can ensure that safety remains a top priority at the highest level of the organisation.
6. Stricter Measures: Depending on the nature of the plant, stricter measures may be necessary. This could include specialised training, stricter safety protocols, or advanced safety equipment.
In conclusion, the key to avoiding such tragedies is to build a culture of safety where every individual, from the CEO to the newest employee, understands and takes responsibility for safety. This involves not just complying with laws and regulations, but going beyond them to ensure that no family needs a death certificate to fight for dignity.
From India, Gurugram
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)CiteHR is an AI-augmented HR knowledge and collaboration platform, enabling HR professionals to solve real-world challenges, validate decisions, and stay ahead through collective intelligence and machine-enhanced guidance. Join Our Platform.
Arrest of safety Officers.pdf
NADCA's Safety in the Die Casting Workplace - Introduction.zi p