The last of six people named in the FIR in connection with the August 31 illegal firecracker factory explosion on the Prayagraj-Kaushambi border, was arrested after an exchange of fire with police in Kaushambi late on Friday night, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, Shakeel, a resident of Mahmoodpur Manauri and brother of prime accused and factory owner Naushad, sustained a gunshot injury during the encounter. Police said a reward of ₹50,000 had been announced for information leading to his arrest.
Kaushambi circle officer (Manjhanpur) Saurabh Samant said joint teams of Manjhanpur police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) took Shakeel into custody after an exchange of fire in which he was injured. Later, he was admitted to the District Hospital, Manjhanpur.
Police said they recovered a country-made firearm, one live cartridge, two empty .315-bore cartridges, ₹1,000, a mobile phone and the motorcycle from his possession. A separate case has been registered at Manjhanpur police station under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3/25 of the Arms Act.
During interrogation, Shakeel allegedly told police that he and his associates were manufacturing and storing illegal firecrackers and explosive material for financial gain in a shed near the Mahmudpur Manauri Power House.
{{/usCountry}}During interrogation, Shakeel allegedly told police that he and his associates were manufacturing and storing illegal firecrackers and explosive material for financial gain in a shed near the Mahmudpur Manauri Power House.
{{/usCountry}}The August 31 blast, which occurred around 11.30am, destroyed the illegal factory and nearby structures, including four houses and an adjoining bundi manufacturing unit. The blast claimed 14 lives, including nine children.
Bulldozer action against accused
Administrative action against properties linked to the accused are also continuing. A bulldozer demolished Shakeel’s house at Mahmudpur Manauri in the Pipri police station area on Friday.
Officials said the approximately 100-square-metre house did not have an approved building map. The property was reportedly the ancestral house of the family, where Naushad and his family had also lived before he built a separate house about 10 months ago.
The administration also demolished a wedding band warehouse belonging to Naushad’s son Adil and seized the material stored there. Naushad was also involved in the band business besides his alleged illegal firecracker trade.
40 kg illegal firecrackers seized
The Pipri police on Friday recovered around 40 kg of illegally stored firecrackers and sparklers from a room in Mahmudpur Manauri.
DSP Shivank Singh said police received information during a checking drive that Azmat, son of Subrati and a resident of Manauri under Puramufti police station in Prayagraj, had stored illegal firecrackers in a room. A police team searched the premises and recovered the material packed in five sacks.
A case has been registered at Pipri police station and efforts are on to arrest Azmat, police said.
Police launch helpline
Meanwhile, Kaushambi superintendent of police Satyanarayan Prajapat has appealed to residents to share information about such activities.
The police have issued 9454177553 as a helpline number for WhatsApp complaints. The SP said the identity of informants would be kept confidential and urged people to immediately share information about illegal firecracker manufacturing or storage anywhere in the district.
Rly submits damage report to Kaushambi police
Railway authorities have submitted details of the damage caused to railway infrastructure in the August 31 explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing and storage facility on the Prayagraj-Kaushambi border to Kaushambi police, officials said.
The railway damage assessment is expected to form part of the ongoing investigation into the blast.
The explosion at the facility in Chilla Shahbazi village under Pipri police station caused extensive damage to nearby structures and railway infrastructure. Four houses and a bundi-manufacturing unit were razed in the blast, while the railway electrical substation at Manauri station also suffered major damage.
According to officials, one 132-KV tower of the railway power substation was damaged, while another suffered partial damage. The blast also snapped the overhead equipment (OHE) of the railway line, disrupting train movement on the route.
At least eight trains, including the Vande Bharat and Jammu Tawi Express, were affected and had to be halted between Prayagraj and Kaushambi following the explosion. Railway officials had to work for several hours to repair the damaged electrical infrastructure and restore normal train operations.
Senior divisional security commissioner, RPF, Deepak Kumar Azad confirmed that the railway had provided the damage details to Kaushambi police.
“We have provided the details regarding the damages sustained by railways in the incident to Kaushambi police. They will add relevant sections in the FIR against the accused and take necessary further action as per law,” he said.
Officials said the loss to the railway is estimated at around ₹80 lakh. With the railway’s assessment now submitted, police are expected to incorporate the damage to public infrastructure into the case and examine legal provisions for recovery of the losses from the accused.
The development comes as police and district authorities are preparing the case for possible action under the National Security Act (NSA), following directions issued by the state government in the wake of the incident.