VARANASI, Nov. 22 -- Four individuals were arrested by a special investigation team (SIT) on Friday in connection with the November 15 Sonbhadra stone quarry collapse in which seven workers were killed, police said. Superintendent of police (SP) Abhishek Verma said those arrested were identified as mine manager Anil Kumar Jha, 59, a resident of a village in Darbhanga (Bihar); mine staff Gaurav Singh, 33, and Ajay Kumar, 44, and mine mate Chandrashekhar, 46, -- all three from different localities in Sonbhadra district. The SP said that the accused were deployed by the director-general (mining safety) to ensure the mining activity goes as per rules and all safety standards are followed. The five-member SIT, led by Obra circle officer (CO) Harsh Pandey, found that the accused neither sent mandatory reports to the DG (mining safety) nor informed senior officials of their department, the SP said. During interrogation, the mine manager and mine mate admitted that irregularities in drilling and the use of explosives were not reported to the DG (mining safety). Workers were not given safety instructions, and essential precautions were ignored, Verma said. Despite workers refusing to enter the lower section of the mine, they were allegedly forced to continue working under pressure from the mine owner and contractors. The two officers also failed to alert their superiors or attempt to halt operations despite the severe risk....