NEW DELHI/MANESAR, July 23: Four days after violence at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant claimed the life of senior executive, Haryana Government today announced the appointment of eminent criminal lawyer KTS Tulsi as special prosecutor for the case.
Earlier in the day, representatives of around 100 villages around the Manesar plant, gathered at Dhana village for a Mahapanchayat and demanded a CBI inquiry into the July 18 incident.
The decision to appoint Tulsi was announced by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda after a meeting with the top management of Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) and Gurgaon district officials here.
“For that we have appointed a special prosecutor KTS Tulsi,” Hooda told reporters when asked about steps taken by the State Government to bring to book the culprits.
The company, meanwhile, said it has been assured of full support by the State Government in the case, adding its internal inquiry into the incident will be merged with the police investigation.
Gurgaon Police Commissioner K K Sindhu and Haryana DGP R S Dalal were also present in the meeting, which was attended by MSI Chairman R C Bhargava, Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi, Chief Operating Officer (Production) MM Singh and Chief Operating Officer (Administration) S Y Siddiqui.
Bhargava said the priority at the moment is to find the reasons behind the violence.
“The first priority is what was really behind what had happened last week…Identify the issue. Problems have to be uprooted and eliminated from the state. The CM is determined, he won’t tolerate any such activities in the state,” he added.
He further said: “Today’s meeting was to chart out the approach and action to the incident that shocked the Government, administration and the company.”
The company also received support from the Mahapanchayat, which passed a six-point agenda and resolved to form a committee of the villages to look into the incident.
“We don’t have faith in the special investigation team. We demand a CBI inquiry to probe the incident,” said former Gurgaon Zila Parishad Chairman Rao Abhay Yadav, who presided the Mahapanchayat.
Last week, Haryana Government had announced a special investigation team (SIT), headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ravinder Tomar, to probe the incident. The police has so far arrested 97 workers.
During the day, the Gurgaon police today issued ‘arrest warrants’ against 12 workers, including the office bearers of Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union (MSWU).
A local magistrate ordered Yogesh Kumar—the Organising Secretary of MSWU—police remand for five days, while the remaining five workers were given two days of police remand. They were arrested yesterday.
On how long lockout at the Manesar plant would continue, Nakanishi said: “Until people’s security and safety are ensured, we won’t operate the plant. We are focussing on that now and there is no timeline.”
Spelling out steps taken to expedite the process to book guilty, Siddiqui said: “Maruti’s internal inquiry will be merged with the police’s inquiry. We will priovide all help, including sharing of data and support the Government in all respect.”
Today’s meeting was also attended by Haryana Industries Minister Randeep Surjewala, state Home Minister Gopal Kanda, Chief Secretary P K Chaudhery, Principal Secretary to CM (Home) P V Rathee and Labour Commissioner Satwanti Ahlawat among others.
While expressing concern over the incident, Hooda said the process to identify the culprits and issuing of charge sheets against them must be expedited.
Nakanishi said two Japanese executives, who were injured during the violence last week, have been discharged from hospital and regular check-ups were going on.
“We have not decided it yet. We have to decide on that,” he said when asked if they would be leaving for Japan.
On Saturday, the violence-hit company declared an indefinite lockout at its Manesar plant but firmly ruled out the possibility of shifting operations to Gujarat.
The move followed the death of a senior executive, who was burnt alive, and injury of 100 others in the violence at the plant on July 18 following suspension of a worker. (PTI)
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