At least 20K kg banned crackers seized, 34 held

Kolkata: Diamond Harbour Police seized about 20,000 kg of banned firecrackers and arrested 34 persons during the night-long raid following the cracker factory blast incident at Chingripota in Budge Budge.

According to sources, after the explosion that claimed three lives, including of a minor, cops of Budge Budge and Maheshtala police stations conducted raids at several houses where banned crackers were reportedly stored.

The team was led by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Industrial, Nirupam Ghosh. During the raid, cops found about 20,000 kg of banned crackers, including chocolate bombs. About 34 people who were owners of the cracker factories or found to have stored the illegal crackers inside their houses were arrested.

However, a section of local people claimed that police vandalised their shops at night.

Also, it was claimed by a section of cracker businessmen that the seizure was made despite some of them having valid licences. Police stored the seized crackers and cracker powder at the Budge Budge police station premises. On Monday afternoon, smoke was noticed coming out from a powder keg. The fire brigade was immediately informed and necessary steps were taken to prevent any untoward incident.