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Ludhiana: Another illegal firecracker unit found in Hambran, cops nab 2
Officials said the newly discovered premises is linked to the same family involved in the Jodhan blast. Deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain said a judicial inquiry has been marked to investigate the matter
A day after a fatal explosion at an illegal firecracker unit in Jodhan village, Ludhiana Rural Police averted another potential tragedy by uncovering an unauthorised firecracker godown in Hambran, about 25km from Jodhan.
Officials said the newly discovered premises is linked to the same family involved in the Jodhan blast.
Deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain said a judicial inquiry has been marked to investigate the matter.
Forensic teams inspected the site on Wednesday, while the Army was called in to safely dispose of the explosive material, suspected to be potash, recovered from the premises. Investigators revealed that the chemical was procured from a supplier based in Sangrur.
Police have registered an FIR at Jodhan police station under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosives Act and Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Two brothers, Sajid and Wajid, residents of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested, while efforts are underway to trace other persons involved.
Deputy inspector general of police (Ludhiana Range) Satinder Singh said the accused had rented the house just four days before the incident and had quickly set up an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit. They had also brought in families from Uttar Pradesh to work as labourers.
The deceased, identified as 19-year-old Kaif Shah, was one of the workers at the unit, while the injured girl, Alisha, belongs to a family also employed there.
Senior superintendent of police (Ludhiana Rural) Ankur Gupta said preliminary findings suggest that the explosion occurred when packets of potash stored on racks fell, possibly triggering a blast while the workers were asleep in their rooms.
The SSP added that the landlord had rented out the property without conducting mandatory police verification and legal action will be initiated against him as well. He said the police are examining the background links of the accused, while no prior criminal record has been found against the arrested individuals. The supplier of the explosive material reportedly has a criminal history.
Police officials have ruled out any larger conspiracy related to the transportation of potash in this case.
It may be recalled that the explosion in Jodhan village on Tuesday night claimed the life of a 19-year-old man, while a 15-year-old girl sustained injuries. The building was damaged and the victims were buried under the debris. Locals rescued them and rushed them to hospital, where one of the injured later succumbed to injuries.
