West Bengal Factory Blast: Locals allege illegal unit involved in making guns, explosives

Kolkata, May 17: Locals in East Mednipur of West Bengal have accused the State administration of not taking timely action against the firecracker factory where nine workers were killed and several others injured in a massive blast.

 

 

 

 

The locals have alleged that the unit was used to manufacture lethal explosives and guns. A massive blast took at the factory in Khadikul village under the Egra police station at 11 am on Tuesday (May 16). "In this factory, crackers were only made for the show. Lethal explosives were made and supplied outside," said Jalhosa, a local said adding that no arrests were made so far in connection with the blast. "No one has been arrested. Had anybody been arrested public would not have been made police run away yesterday. This factory has been running for the last twenty-five years," he said.

 

 

  

After the explosion when police reached the site, they were attacked by locals. Another local identified as Ashok Jana, accused the police of turning a blind eye to the illegal activities of the factory. "The owner of the factory has the police and all other concerned authorities on his payroll. If anybody here raises their voice against him he threatens them," the villager said and alleged that guns were being manufactured in the factory. “If you raid the godown of the factory you will find it," he said.

 

 

 

 

 

According to the police the factory was operating illegally and the owner had been arrested last year and a chargesheet was filed. They said that efforts are underway to arrest the accused, identified as Krishnapada Bagh alias Bhanu Bagh. The West Bengal police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has initiated a probe into the incident and investigation with the help of forensic experts after the State government handed over the case to it.

 

  

East Medinipur Superintendent of Police, Amarnath K said, "Till now, 9 bodies have been recovered and efforts are being made to find out if there was any other killed in the incident. Two people seriously injured in this incident have been referred to Kolkata's SSKM from Egra Super Specialty Hospital." "It was an illegal factory. There have been three to four cases against this factory in the past as well. It was raided many times, but the accused kept operating it. Efforts are underway to arrest the accused, identified as Krishnapada Bagh alias Bhanu Bagh," the SP said.

 

 

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