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Hapur explosion: Owner, operator of factory arrested, say cops
Hapur blast: An FIR was registered earlier in the day against the owner and the operator in the explosion that had claimed at least 12 lives a day ago.
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The owner and operator of a factory in Hapur of Uttar Pradesh where an explosion that claimed at least 12 lives and injured 21 a day ago were arrested in separated searches on Sunday.
Police said factory owner Dilshad Khan was nabbed, hours after its operator Wasim was arrested. The duo were named in an FIR registered in the case earlier in the day. The explosion had taken place at Ruhi Industries in Dhaulana area on Saturday.
Police said the factory had the licence to manufacture only electronic goods and an investigation is underway to ascertain how explosives reached there. Police suspect that crackers were being manufactured in the factory.
Also read | Explosion that killed 13 at factory in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur caught on CCTV
District magistrate Medha Roopam said factories in the area are being checked, and soon, the reality of the incident will come to the fore and strict action will be taken against the accused," she said.
At the time of the incident, there were around 30 people at the factory in UPSIDC Industrial Area in Dholana, around 80 km from the national capital, officials said.
The impact of the explosion was so intense that the roofs of some of the factories located in the vicinity were damaged. It took three hours for fire tenders to douse the blaze.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had expressed grief over the loss of lives.
(With inputs from UP bureau and agencies)
