Schaeffler India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Harsha Gopal Kadam was taken into police custody after investigators widened their probe into the deaths of two contract workers at the company’s Talegaon factory near Pune.
Police took Kadam into custody at around 6.40 p.m. on October 19 in his capacity as the designated occupier of the factory, according to a regulatory filing accessed by The Hindu BusinessLine. The June 9 accident occurred when carbon dioxide gas was suddenly discharged during the scheduled replacement of cylinders. The two workers, who were employed by an external service provider, died in the incident.
Schaeffler India said the investigation had been expanded to include its managing director because he was designated as the ‘occupier’ of the factory premises under applicable law. The company has not disclosed the specific provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita invoked against Kadam.
Under Section 2(n) of the Factories Act, 1948, the occupier is a director designated as having ultimate control over a factory’s affairs. Section 7A requires the occupier to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of workers. The statutory responsibilities include safe operating systems, maintenance, training and supervision, including safety arrangements involving outside contractors.
The designation of an occupier does not automatically establish criminal negligence. Investigators must determine whether the available evidence supports liability under the applicable criminal law. Kadam’s custody therefore forms part of the ongoing investigation and does not by itself establish guilt.
The company said its officers and managing director had cooperated with investigators and would continue to do so. It also said senior management remained responsible for day-to-day operations and that business activities were continuing normally.
The case places attention on how industrial safety responsibilities are allocated when an accident involves contract workers and a service provider. While the two workers were not direct employees of Schaeffler India, the company’s statutory obligations as the factory occupier include safety systems and supervision at its premises.
Schaeffler India is a Tier 1 automotive component supplier to companies including Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Hyundai Motor India. It manufactures engine, transmission and chassis components for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, two-wheelers and tractors. Its LuK, INA and FAG brands cover clutch systems, engine components and precision bearings, while the company also has products for electric and hybrid vehicles.
Police action against senior executives has followed other fatal industrial accidents in India. In 2025, Sigachi Industries CEO and Managing Director Amit Raj Sinha was reportedly arrested after a factory explosion in Telangana that killed dozens of workers. In 2020, police arrested LG Polymers CEO Sunkey Jeong and other senior officials after a styrene gas leak at the company’s Visakhapatnam plant killed 12 people.
The investigation into the Talegaon accident will determine the circumstances of the gas discharge, the safety procedures in place during cylinder replacement and the responsibilities of the company and external service provider. Schaeffler said it would continue cooperating with investigators.
