Prime Accused, 2 Others Held In Bengal Firecracker Blast Case From Odisha

CID officials have arrested the prime accused and two others from Odisha in the West Bengal firecracker factory blast case.

The officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police on Thursday arrested Krishnapada Bag a.k.a Bhanu, the prime accused in the explosion at an illegal firecracker factory at Egra in East Midnapore district, reported IANS. He was arrested from a private nursing home at Cuttack in Odisha, where he got admitted after getting injured in the explosion. His son, Prithvijit Bag and nephew Indrajit Bag, have also been arrested along with him, the agency reported. 

The blast in Bengal’s Egra had claimed nine lives and injured several on Tuesday. IANS reported that Bhanu had escaped along with his son and close associates immediately after the blast. 

As per the report, he was the former village panchayat member in the area of ruling Trinamool Congress.State (TMC). Police sources told the agency that the injuries of the arrested accused are quite serious. Initially, the CID sleuths thought of shifting him to the hospital in Kolkata only but the doctors treating him said that his condition is too critical for transfer. He is  

“We have requested our counterparts in Odisha Police to depute guards at the said nursing home and keep a constant watch so that Bhanu cannot escape from the hospital under any circumstance,” a state police official was quoted as saying by IANS. 

Meanwhile, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday demanded the resignation of state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over a blast at an illegal firecracker unit located at Egra in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal killing nine people and injured several others on Tuesday, as reported by the news agency ANI. He added that bombs were manufactured in this illegal factory. 

"Bombs were manufactured in this illegal factory. Panchayat elections are near. TMC and the factory owner are colluding. One Bhanu Bagh is a local TMC leader, & was Panchayat Member from 2013-18 has received protection from Mamata Banerjee. CM should resign from her position. I have filed a petition for an NIA investigation into this matter," Suvendu Adhikari said as quoted by ANI.  

Adhikari said that police and state government are responsible for this incident and he also demanded the state government to give Rs 10 lakhs to each affected. "Police and state government are responsible for this incident. We demand that the state government gives Rs 10 lakhs to each affected in the Egra firecracker factory explosion, " Suvendu Adhikari said as quoted by ANI.

Reacting to the blast, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "The illegal firecracker unit was functioning at a house in a village near the West Bengal-Odisha border. The firecrackers manufactured there used to be sent to Odisha. Local labourers were working there," as quoted by PTI. Trinamool Congress supremo, said the next of kin of the deceased will get a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh each and the injured will get Rs 1 lakh, while the state government will bear the expenses of their treatment.

Police also faced criticism for not including some relevant sections under the Explosives Act in the FIR. The FIR includes Sections 188 (illegal activities), 286 (negligent conduct with explosive substance) and 304 (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 24 (penalty for letting off rockets), and 26 (penalty for not taking out a licence for a warehouse or workshop) of the West Bengal Fire Services Act, reported IANS.