Over 200 people were affected by colour poisoning on Holi and suffered allergic reactions in the city.
Two days after over 200 people were affected by colour poisoning on the Holi day here, police today arrested five former workers of an abandoned dye factory in suburban Dharavai in connection with the incident.
Among those who took ill on Thursday were many children in the age group of 9-10 years who complained of giddiness and vomitting soon after they traded toxic colours in Shastrinagar area of suburban Dharavi.
The affected persons were rushed to various civic hospitals in the city after they developed allergic reactions.
Abdul Gaffar Abdul Satar Siddique (43), a resident of Mahim, Mushtaq Ahmed (38), Hayat Mohammad Tir Mohammad Sheikh (36), Mohram Ali Abdul Zabar Siddique (42) and Mohammad Shafique Abdul Zafar Siddique (35)--all residents of Mankhurd, were arrested today, police said.
They are former workers of an abandoned dye factory located in Shastrinagar area, believed to be the source of the toxic colour.
The arrested accused used to work at the now defunct unit from where the affected kids are believed to have collected the chemicals mistaking them for colours on the day of the incident.
"The kids collected colours from the abandoned colour dye factory", police said.
When the said structure was demolished, the chemicals should have been disposed of but rather were dumped there. The children who went to the factory mistook it for colours, they said, adding some of the hues were even sold at cheap rates in the market.
Soon after the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had ordered a detailed probe by a six-member committee into the incident.
The six-member team is headed by Medical Education Department's Secretary, IS Chahal, and will submit its report in two weeks. The committee will fix responsibility and suggest preventive measures.
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