3 men held in Hapur for carrying hydrofluoric acid, sulphur without authorisation; cops says no link to Delhi blast

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vineet Bhatnagar said a police team intercepted a man, standing near the Hinalapur Bamba culvert in the Pilkhuwa area, during routine checking on Tuesday evening. The man, later identified as Shoaib, was carrying a large plastic can.

On questioning, police said he told the team that the container held 38 litres of hydrofluoric acid, which he had purchased from an unidentified person an hour earlier without any documents or permit. “His replies were inconsistent, and he was taken into custody for detailed questioning,” the ASP said.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Station House Officer, Pilkhuwa, Patnaish Kumar, said Shoaib has been arrested. “He has a glass workshop in Hapur and has told us he was bringing it from Delhi for his shop,” he said.

The SHO said Shoaib was carrying 38 litres of the illegal acid without permission. “Prima facie, there is no connection with the Delhi blast,” he added.

The Hapur Police registered an FIR against Shoaib under relevant sections of the Poison Act of 1919 on a complaint by sub-inspector, Mahanth Raj Yadav, at Pilkhuwa Police station on Tuesday.

An official said hydrofluoric acid is a highly corrosive industrial acid used mainly for etching, cleaning and fluorination but it is not a common component of explosives. However, it is “extremely hazardous”, its sale is tightly regulated in many places and any suspicious purchase or use should be reported to authorities, the official said.

In a separate incident on Wednesday morning, police said a team checking vehicles at Paratappur crossing in the same area arrested Shobhit and Vijendra with 2.5 kg of Sulphur.

SHO Kumar said both men were farmers and had been working in an agricultural farm in Haryana. “They said they had found the substance in the field and brought it with them to Hapur to drive away monkeys,” said the SHO.

An FIR was registered under Section 288 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) of the BNS and sections of Poison Act against the duo.

ASP Bhatnagar said all three accused are being questioned, and further investigation is underway to verify their claims and the source of the substances. Their arrests came during checking by the police, which has stepped up security as a precautionary measure following Monday’s blast near Red Fort in Delhi

District Magistrate, Hapur, Abhishek Pandey, told The Indian Express that there had been a standing order to watch out for explosives in the district. “We have just increased surveillance. We are on high alert and also keeping a check on suspicious entry and exit points in the district, including at hotels and rest houses,” he said.

The DM also said they are ensuring there is no inconvenience caused to the general public.