Sangrur godown owners acquitted in blast case

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, March 27

Within six months of Sullar Gharat blast that had claimed seven lives, a local court has acquitted both father-son accused due to lack of evidence.

“The court of KK Singla, Additional Session Judge, Sangrur, has absolved the accused of all charges due to lack of evidence and witnesses. Gandhi Ram is already on bail, while his son Pardeep Kumar was released on Monday evening,” said Gurtej Singh Grewal, their counsel.

The acquittal came despite the fact that the magisterial inquiry committee, led by Sangrur ADC Upkar Singh, concluded in its report that the owners were illegally manufacturing crackers at the site even as they did not have a licence to even store crackers.

After a powerful blast on September 19 last year, five workers — Gurpiar Singh, Karmjit Singh, Gurasharn Singh, Bhupinder Singh and Gursewak Singh — died on spot, while Avtar Singh and Dhanpat Singh succumbed to their injuries a few days later.

A case was registered against Pardeep Kumar and Gandhi Ram under Sections 304, 308 and 427 IPC, 9-B Explosive Act, ¾ Explosive Substances Act, 1908.

Dirba AAP MLA and advocate Harpal Singh Cheema said: “It is a mockery of the legal system. Seven people were killed and the police failed to produce evidence. The magisterial inquiry had confirmed that the father-son duo was illegally manufacturing crackers. But crucial witnesses were allowed to turn hostile, which weakened the case. The CBI or the NIA must probe the case. I will take up the matter with the state and central authorities.”

A team from Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Mohali, had collected samples from the blast site. Apart from confirming the presence of potassium, nitrate, sulphur, carbon and chlorate, the FSL had also confirmed the presence of pressure sensitive explosive material.

Looking back

• The acquittal came despite the fact that the magisterial inquiry committee, led by Sangrur ADC Upkar Singh, concluded in its report that the owners were illegally manufacturing crackers at the site even as they did not have a licence to even store crackers.
• After a powerful blast on September 19 last year, five workers — Gurpiar Singh, Karmjit Singh, Gurasharn Singh, Bhupinder Singh and Gursewak Singh — died on spot, while Avtar Singh and Dhanpat Singh succumbed to their injuries a few days later.