Naveen Jindal defends Anil Agarwal as Vedanta blast toll hits 23
3 min learnRaipurApr 18, 2026 10:44 PM IST
Days after an explosion at a Vedanta energy plant in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district, industrialist and MP Naveen Jindal has backed Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal, who has been named in an FIR. The event comes because the dying toll rose to 23.
In a put up on X, Jindal mentioned the tragedy was “deeply painful” and known as for compensation, livelihood assist and an intensive probe, however questioned naming Agarwal earlier than the investigation.
“Correct compensation, livelihood assist for the households, and an intensive investigation are non-negotiable. However naming Shri Anil Agarwal Ji within the FIR earlier than any investigation raises severe issues. He’s a self-made man from a humble and backward group background who constructed a world enterprise from scratch. He had no function in that plant’s operations. When accidents occur in PSU crops or Railways, will we title the Chairman? We don’t,” he mentioned.
He went on to say: “The identical commonplace should apply to the personal sector, too. Examine first. Set up duty based mostly on proof. Then act. India’s #ViksitBharat imaginative and prescient wants individuals like Shri Anil Agarwal to maintain investing and constructing. That occurs solely when buyers belief the system”.
The remarks come as two extra staff have succumbed to accidents. Three stay vital and 9 are beneath remark at hospitals in Raipur and Raigarh.
The deceased had been recognized as Subrata Jana (Medinipur, West Bengal), who died at Raigarh Medical Faculty within the early hours of Saturday, and Upendra Sah (Garhwa, Jharkhand), who died at Kalda Hospital, Raipur. A health care provider, requesting anonymity, mentioned well timed admission inside the first six hours is essential for survival in such instances.
On Friday, Chief of Opposition Charan Das Mahant demanded that prices of culpable murder not amounting to homicide be added to the FIR. He additionally sought a judicial inquiry as an alternative of an SDM-level probe and known as for remedy of the injured at specialised burn items exterior the state, together with a devoted burn hospital in Chhattisgarh.
Story continues beneath this advert
The explosion occurred round 2.30 pm on Tuesday in Boiler-01 of the Vedanta plant. A preliminary report by the Chief Inspector of Boilers cited extreme gas accumulation within the furnace, resulting in excessive stress and the blast. An FSL report from Sakti corroborated this discovering.
Investigators mentioned Vedanta and NGSL failed to stick to upkeep and operational requirements, with lapses inflicting sudden stress fluctuations. “Primarily based on accessible proof and technical studies, clear negligence has been noticed,” an official assertion mentioned.
An FIR presently invokes sections associated to dying as a result of negligence and negligent conduct with equipment in opposition to “Vedanta Firm Director Anil Agarwal, Firm Supervisor Devendra Patel, and different accountable officers and workers” for prima facie negligence.
Keep up to date with the newest – Click on right here to observe us on Instagram
© The Indian Categorical Pvt Ltd
