Raiganj, Feb. 14: Jitendranath Dutta, arrested yesterday for the deaths of four workers at his cattle feed factory, was granted bail today by the chief judicial magistrate here. The four had died inhaling toxic gas when they entered the factory’s underground tank half-filled with molasses.

The North Dinajpur police superintendent, Swapan Banerjee Purnapatra, said a case was being framed against Naaf Dana owner for negligence, as the factory was not ventilated according to industrial rules. “I have instructed the Raiganj inspector-in-charge to take photographs of the factory to obviate any move by the owner to alter the unit to a better one later and claim that the charge was foisted, ” said the police officer.

While Bengal civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee and police superintendent gave away Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively to each of the victims’ families, the factory management announced no such relief.

Mukherjee had yesterday visited the houses of three victims at Sonarpur. “I have told the district magistrate to ensure that the next of kin of the victims get the compensation according to industrial laws. The police investigation should not be hampered by the fact that owner of the factory is the president of the local chamber of commerce and an “influential person”, the minister said.

Clutching her six-month-old girl at her home in the Shilpinagar area of the town, Shipra, whose husband Ashis Bala died in the mishap, was still not able to come to terms with the tragedy. “My husband told me on Tuesday night that he would have to clean the molasses tank the next day. After the mishap, no one from the factory has come to inquire about me and the child,” she said.

In another development, the district industries centre decided to send a team to all factories in North Dinajpur to inspect the safety aspects. “We grant permission to start a factory only after considering the safety and health aspects of workers. But what is seen in many cases is that once the entrepreneurs get the necessary clearances, they start flouting the rules. We will conduct an intensive inspection drive in all such factories starting next week,” said Manas Bhattacharya, the district industrial officer.

Apart from Ashis Bala, others who died in the mishap were Bhabesh Barman, Uttam Sarkar and Montu Baske.