Weeks after blast in Sadar Bazar shop, police probe reveals it was caused by firecrackers

The police said the accused had handed over a bag with firecrackers and asked that it be stored in the godown. The explosion allegedly took place inside the bag while the deceased was taking it to the first floor.

A view of the site after the blast at Sadar Bazar, in New Delhi. (PTI)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

Weeks after a wall collapsed inside a shop in North Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar due to a blast, killing one of its employees and injuring others, a police probe has revealed that the explosion took place due to a packet of firecrackers.

The blast took place on January 7, leading to the collapse of a staircase and a side wall inside a shop at Sadar Bazaar. Five people were injured and one person, identified as Gulab Madar, succumbed to his injuries during treatment. A case under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sections of the Explosives Act was lodged.

According to the police, footage from a CCTV camera in the locality showed a person handing a plastic bag to the deceased just before the incident. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said the explosion took place inside the said plastic bag on the staircase while the deceased was taking it to the godown on the first floor.

The accused, identified as Mohammed Faiz, had taken a godown on rent inside the said shop. After his arrest, he allegedly revealed that he had spread rumours of the incident being caused due to a blast in the water booster motor and had fled from the spot.

After sustained interrogation, he allegedly revealed that he deals with firecrackers during the festival season and on the day of the incident, he was cleaning his shop for storing Holi items. “He disclosed that he packed the leftover firecrackers in his shop in a plastic bag and gave it to the deceased to store it in the godown…he did not tell anyone what was in the bag as no one wanted to dispose it off,” the DCP said.

Apart from the police, teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi Disaster Management Authority and Municipal Corporation of Delhi had inspected the spot.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram