Service advisors chargesheeted for Maruti Ritz fire

Five Maruti Suzuki officials have been chargesheeted for the Maruti Ritz fire that claimed two lives in Bangalore last year.

Eight technicians of Kalyani Motors service station in Kundalahalli, where the car was last serviced, have also been named in the chargesheet. All 13 accused have been booked under IPC Section 304 A for causing death due to negligence. 

The chargesheet states that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the faulty power window. The plastic door panel then caught fire, which then spread to the engine, circuit box, control unit, relays, fuse box, battery and gutted the windows. The forensic report suggests that the hand brake was on and the front portion of the vehicle was burnt the most. The Ritz was manufactured in 2010 and according to the chargesheet, the five Maruti Suzuki officials didn't take sufficient safety measures regarding the spares and the power window leading to a fire 8 years later. 

On February 2, 2018, Neha Verma and her child were seen driving the car into the basement parking lot. Hearing a blast, the security guards rushed to the spot to find the car ablaze.

The husband of the deceased had filed a complaint with the police alleging negligence by the staff of the service station, which resulted in the fire. 

Source: Economic Times