Prime accused in Karnataka quarry blast case arrested in Tamil Nadu

GS Nagaraja, the accused, who is also a local leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, had been on the run since the blast

A partner-owner of a quarry in Karnataka’s Chikkabalapur district was on Thursday arrested from Tamil Nadu’s Hosur two days after six people were killed while trying to allegedly dispose of illegally procured explosives on his orders, police said.

Police said that following a police raid on the quarry on February 7, Nagaraja ordered the removal of the explosives, which led to the blast on Tuesday. (PTI)

GS Nagaraja, the accused, who is also a local leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, had been on the run since the blast. Police said that following a police raid on the quarry on February 7, Nagaraja ordered the removal of the explosives, which led to the blast on Tuesday. He has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and under the Explosives Act.

Police have also detained Ganesh, an explosives expert from Tamil Nadu who worked for the quarry.

Raghavendra Reddy, another partner-owner of the quarry, was arrested on Wednesday along with his four employees.

Two police officers, Manjunath and Gopal Reddy, have been suspended pending inquiry for alleged dereliction of duty. Despite earlier complaints against the quarry owners for alleged illegal blasting and storage of explosives, the two officers did not act, people aware of the matter said.