Balasore, 14/11: Seven employees of Falcon company were on Monday arrested and remanded to judicial custody following the gas leak in the company’s prawn processing plant at Khantapara in Balasore district on Monday night.The plant was also sealed following the mishap, followimg which more than 100 employees had fallen sick.

Meanwhile, the health condition of the sick employees, mostly young women and women, is improving slowly.

However, the mishap raised a political storm with the local MLA alleging that the plant was running without the safety check. “It will raise this in the assembly”, he said.

The seven arrested included General Manager of the company, HR Manager, Safety Officer and Supervisor. They were remanded to Balasore Jail as the Judicial Magistrate First Class rejected their bail plea.

Meanwhile, insecurity is hanging as to where the recovered employees will go. Most of the women employees were staying in the plant premises. But they cannot stay there due to fear of gas leak. The plant is not likely to reopen till the completion of the inquiry.

The Labour Commissioner has been entrusted with the inquiry to ascertain the causes of the gas leak and fix responsibility on the persons responsible for the mishap.