MP firecracker factory fire: Owner arrested from Chhattisgarh

25 people were killed after an explosion in the factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat sparked fire on Wednesday

Updated on: Jun 9, 2017, 17:51:45 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Neeraj Santoshi

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The owner of the firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat where 25 people were killed in a fire incident on Wednesday was arrested from neighbouring Chhattisgarh on Friday, police said.

Rescuers try to douse fire at a firecracker factory in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. Police arrested owner of the factory from Chhattisgarh on Friday. (AP Photo)

Balaghat superintendent of police Amit Sanghi told HT Waheed Ahmed Warsi was arrested from Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur after an FIR was lodged against him under IPC section 304.

“During the course of investigation we learnt that he had escaped to Raipur. We sent a team there and arrested him,” Sanghi said.

He said the government announced a compensation of Rs 6.5 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed.

The fire was caused by an explosion at the factory. A probe has been ordered to ascertain what caused the explosion.

Meanwhile, agriculture minister Gaurishankar Bisen told HT that he had decided to adopt 21 girls whose either of the parents were killed in the incident.

“19 girls lost their mothers in the incident and one girl lost her both parents. As 23 of the 25 killed are from my assembly segment, I have decided to raise these daughters, sponsor their education and arrange for their marriage when they grow up.”

As for the 20 boys who lost either of the parents, minister decided to spend Rs 50,000 each on their education for the next three years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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