FIR filed a month after AB Road workshop blast that left two injured

Indore: Nearly a month after a blast ripped through a vehicle workshop on AB Road and left two men with severe burns, Azad Nagar police have registered an FIR against the unit's owner and manager for alleged negligence. Deputy commissioner of police Krishna Lalchandani said the case was filed on the basis of a complaint by Mohammad Aslam, a resident of Samrat Colony in Khajrana, who was among those injured in the Feb 4 explosion at the four-wheeler denting and painting workshop. Police have booked owner Mushtaq Ali Khogar and manager Abdul Kalam, alleging they forced workers to undertake hazardous repair work without basic safety precautions. According to the complaint, the incident occurred when a truck was brought to the unit for servicing. The vehicle had a diesel tank installed. Aslam, who was engaged in welding and denting work at the facility, said when he opened the tank, he found a substantial quantity of diesel still inside. He claimed to have informed the manager that the tank needed to be thoroughly cleaned before any repair or cutting work could be undertaken.Despite the warning, the manager allegedly directed him to proceed with cutting the tank using a grinder without first draining or cleaning it. Moments after the grinder was switched on, fumes inside the tank triggered a powerful blast, followed by flames that engulfed the area.Aslam sustained serious burns on both hands, his face, and chest. A truck driver, identified as Raju, who was standing nearby, also suffered facial burns in the explosion. The injured were rushed to a private hospital nearly half an hour later by the manager and other staff.During the preliminary inquiry, police found that no formal safety training was provided to workers handling fuel tanks and that mandatory precautions were not followed while carrying out the repair job. Based on Aslam's statement, an FIR was registered, and further investigation is underway.