Nagpur: After four months of the catastrophic blast at SBL Energy Limited claimed the lives of 26 workers, the Central Government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the tragedy by constituting a three-member expert committee to examine the causes of the explosion, regulatory lapses and compliance with explosive safety norms.
The development came to light on Friday through an affidavit filed before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court by Chief Controller of Explosives Manohar Dudhe during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the incident.
The inquiry panel will be headed by Joint Chief Controller of Explosives Dr Sanjana Sharma. Retired Joint Chief Controller of Explosives V.B. Borgaonkar and S.K. Dixit, Joint Chief Controller of Explosives, Agra, have been appointed as members of the committee.
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July 02 ,2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
The Centre’s decision follows a PIL filed by labour leader Jammu Anand. During the proceedings, Advocate Arvind Waghmare, appearing for the petitioner, drew the High Court’s attention to the provisions of Section 9A of the Explosives Act, following which the Union Government initiated the high-level probe.
The committee has been entrusted with conducting a comprehensive investigation into the explosion. It will ascertain the immediate and underlying causes of the blast, reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the accident and examine whether SBL Energy had complied with the conditions of its explosive licence, statutory requirements and mandatory safety regulations.
The panel will also scrutinise the role of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to determine whether there were any shortcomings, negligence, procedural irregularities or dereliction of duty by officials responsible for inspection, licensing, supervision and enforcement of safety standards.
In addition, the committee will review the effectiveness of the existing regulatory framework governing the manufacture and handling of explosives. It has been asked to recommend reforms in licensing conditions, strengthen safety protocols and suggest procedural improvements and preventive measures to ensure that similar industrial disasters do not recur.
The committee has been directed to submit its findings and recommendations to the Central Government within 15 days.
Meanwhile, the affidavit disclosed that PESO is simultaneously carrying out its own investigation into the explosion. As part of the probe, the agency had sought 29 categories of documents from SBL Energy to determine the exact cause of the blast. However, the company has yet to furnish several crucial records, including the forensic examination report and other key documents required for the investigation, the affidavit stated.
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