NHRC seeks detailed report from Chief Secretary, DGP, Maharashtra on Palghar gas leak matter
National Human Rights Commission
New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that four workers died and two were injured after inhaling Nitrogen gas that leaked at a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit located in Boisar Industrial Estate of Tarapur, Palghar district, Maharashtra. At the time of the incident, 36 workers were present.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the DGP, Maharashtra, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
The report is expected to include the status of the investigation, compensation, if any, provided to the next of kin of the deceased and the health of the injured workers.
According to the media report, carried on 22nd August, 2025, the district authorities have initiated an enquiry into the incident to determine the cause of the gas leak and assess if there were any safety lapses.
Read also: NHRC issues notice to UP Govt over patient's death at Kanpur Medical College
Meanwhile, as reported last week by Medical Dialogues, the Police have registered a case against four senior employees of Medley Pharmaceuticals. The case has been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which concerns “culpable homicide not amounting to murder”.
Chief of Palghar district disaster management cell, Vivekanand Kadam, told PTI that gas leaked from the nitrogen reaction tank at the pharma company between 2.30 pm and 3 pm, seriously affecting six workers.
"The six workers were rushed to Shinde hospital, where four of them - Kalpesh Raut (43), Bengali Thakur (46), Dheeraj Prajapati (31), and Kamlesh Yadav (31) died around 6.15 pm.
Read also: Four senior employees of Medley Pharma booked over Palghar gas leak
