Cops recover firecrackers worth Rs 40 lakh, one arrested

Kolkata: Police have recovered illegal firecrackers worth Rs nearly 40 lakh from a house in the Punjabi Para area of Siliguri and held the house owner for storing the firecrackers illegally.

According to the police, the accused had hoarded a huge amount of illegal firecrackers without a fire license.

The house had no fire fighting mechanism the police said. Police said that the firecrackers were stored in the kitchen, bed room and other places inside the house. Police said that the house would have been blown up if there was an explosion.

The accused has been identified as Sekhar Agarwal who is being interrogated in this connection.

Police came to know that a huge amount of illegal firecrackers is stored inside the house. According to the information, police acted and conducted a raid at the house and recovered the firecrackers.

The accused, however, claimed during the police interrogation that he bought the firecrackers for selling them in the market. He also told the police that the firecrackers were not illegally bought.

Police said that none can store a huge amount of firecrackers as the accused did so without a fire license. A specific case has been started against the accused and he was later arrested.

It may be mentioned here that on last Monday, Cooch Behar district police had busted an unauthorised firecrackers godown from the district and seized 1,500 kg prohibited firecrackers. One person has been arrested in this connection so far. Before the Kali Puja, the district police are vigilant and are conducting raids to nab those who are illegally storing the firecrackers.