Baddi Police raid, seal illegal fireworks factory; owner arrested
Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, July 28
Baddi Police seized a huge cache of firecrackers and chemicals after they raided an illegal fireworks factory in Baddi’s Thana village on Wednesday, officials said.
The raid began on Tuesday evening and went on till Wednesday evening. Police said they found incendiary material for fireworks in 4-5 halls of the double-storeyed factory.
The owner, Daya Karan, was arrested in the evening after he could not produce a licence when asked, police said. Workers in the factory fled as soon as the raid began, Baddi Superintendent of Police Rohit Malpani said.
“A team of about 25 policemen led by DSP Baddi Navdeep Singh raided this factory after a tip-off about its illegal operations. There was no sign board outside the double storey factory, which was found locked from outside though some workers were seen working inside,” the officer said.
He said the alarmed factory workers locked the factory doors and escaped another way by the time the police managed to get inside.
Police found a large cache of crackers at various stages of manufacturing, 18 drums of nitric acid, 7 drums of alcohol and 28 packaging machines among other machinery on the premises, he said. Over 600 cracker boxes and 15 tonnes of silica were also found, police said.
The crackers bore the label ‘Original Colours’ but had no other details on the packaging, police said.
Police have booked the suspect for negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance (section 286, Indian Penal Code) as well as Section 13 of the Explosives Act (Power to arrest without warrant persons committing dangerous offences). A local court remanded him in police custody for five days, Malpani said.
“We’re investigating how he got power for the factory. There was heavy power usage with 28 machines, air conditioners and exhaust fans among other equipment. The factory was operating on a private plot that the suspect claims he owns. We’re verifying this,” Baddi DSP Navdeep Singh said.
