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Scrap dealer arrested for Aug 30 gas leak, says he bought cylinder for ₹4,100
Police said the scrap dealer Babloo Kashyap has claimed that he bought the gas cylinder from two persons from Uttarakhand’s Jal Santhan, the state’s government-run water utility
RUDRAPUR: The Rudrapur scrap dealer blamed for the gas leak that landed 37 people in hospital on Tuesday has told the police that he released the gas to empty a scrapped cylinder bought for ₹4,100, police said on Thursday.
The scrap dealer, identified by the police as Babloo Kashyap, was arrested by the police on Wednesday.
“He has revealed that he purchased the gas cylinder from two persons. Police are looking for those persons now,” Udham Singh Nagar senior superintendent of police Manjunath TC said.
About 37 people, many of them from Rudrapur’s Transit Camp area, were hospitalised on Tuesday after facing difficulty breathing after inhaling the gas that leaked from the scrap dealer’s godown. Some of them including officials are still under treatment.
The cylinder was later disposed of by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team.
Police said Babloo Kashyap told investigators that he purchased the gas cylinder from two persons of Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, the state-run water utility, for ₹ 4,100 on Monday. He planned to sell the cylinder after releasing the gas overnight. The problem started soon after he turned the knob and left.
“From where the cylinder came will be known after catching the two persons from whom he claims to have purchased the cylinder,” said the SSP.
The district police are also carrying out checks at godowns of other scrap dealers. A total of 276 shops and godowns have been checked and six godowns sealed for failing to procedure the necessary documents. In all, 44 dealers were prosecuted for violations.
Police personnel check a godown of a scrap dealer under a special drive in Udham Singh Nagar to confirm if they have any hazardous material.
