Charge Sheet Filed Against LG for Gas Leak

 Visakhapatnam: The Gopalapatnam police in Visakhapatnam city filed a charge sheet against 12 people representing LG Polymers R Venkatapuram in Visakhapatnam for leakage of styrene gas on May 7, 2020 that killed 12 persons and affected health of scores of people. The second ACM is yet to take cognizance of the charge sheet.

Explaining the delay in filing the charge sheet that took more than four years, assistant commissioner of police (west zone) A Narasimha Murthy said the court wanted scores of documents to support the charges.

The cases filed under sections of 278, 284, 285, 337, 338 and 304 (ii) of IPC against P Chandra Mohan Rao (A1), K Srinivas Kiran Kumar (A2), managing director Sunkey Jeong (A3) of South Korea, Dongsoo KIM (A4) South Korea, R Satyana Satyanarayana (A5), Ch Venkata Chandra Sekhar (A6), K Gowri Sankara Nagendra Ramu (A7), Muddu Rajesh (A8), Potnuru Balajee (A9), Silaparasetty Atchyut (A10), K Chakrapani (A11), K Venkata Narasimha Ramesh Patnaik (A12).

It may be recalled that on May 7, 2020 uncontrolled Styrene release occurred at LG Polymers, RR Venkatapuram, Visakhapatnam from one of the tanks killing five people instantly. Subsequently seven more persons succumbed in the hospitals.

The AP High Court allowed the South Korean company to shift to Sri City on December 7 last year on the basis of a recommendation by the state government’s high-powered committee to let LG to vacate its entire 213-acre project site at RR Venkatapuram in Pendurthi Mandal of Visakhapatnam and utilise that land for promoting green category industries and to shift its engineering plastic compounds manufacturing activity to an alternative location. Production is likely to commence soon, sources said.

Cases were also filed in National Green Tribunal by former civil servant EAS Sharma and CPM leaders but the tribunal was hearing the case that was taken up suo moto by its chairman.

The YSRC government paid a compensation of Rs 1 crore to each victim’s family but three families claimed that they were yet to get the money. They filed a case in AP High Court to get that money.