On May 13, 2022, a fire broke out in a four-storey building of Cofe Impex Pvt Ltd, a manufacturing factory of electronic and surveillance equipment located in Delhi’s Mundka industrial area. The incident occurred during a motivational lecture being attended by over a hundred workers - a majority of whom were women- and other company representatives. According to official data, the fire resulted in the death of 27 workers, out of which 21 were women.

This was not surprising since nearly 90% of the workforce in this factory were women. Most were below 30, some as young as 18-19 years. At least 40 workers were gravely injured and many others were reported missing. Further, the incident has far-reaching administrative, legal and socio-economic consequences as well as gendered implications for the victims. A majority of the affected families have been forced to live in a state of severe financial hardship and emotional distress. Considering the gravity of this devastating incident, a group of experts including trade unionists, lawyers, women’s rights activists, and members of labour rights NGOs embarked on a fact-finding mission and conducted a detailed investigation into the causes of the incident and the long-term impact and irreversible consequences on the workers, especially migrant workers.

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Delhi Mundka Factory Fire: A Culpable Homicide Occurred Due to States Negligence and Ignorance