Huge cracker haul, 40 arrested a day after Bengal blast kills three

Also, the police’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) initiated investigation into the incident at the Budge Budge house where firecrackers were allegedly stockpiled. Of the arrests made, two persons were taken in custody in connection with Sunday’s blast at Chingripota panchayat of Budge Budge.

Teams of the state intelligence agency and the forensic department also reached the spot and collected samples.

“What caused the fire is not clear yet. The collected samples will be sent for examination,” an official said.

The search operation at residences and shops housing godowns containing firecrackers was underway in the area till filing of the report, officials said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Industrial) Nirupam Ghosh led the joint operation starting Sunday night with the Maheshtala and Budge Budge police stations.

Meanwhile, local firecracker traders expressed anger at the way the police operation after Sunday’s incident. They claimed that the incident took place due to lack of precaution and awareness as raw material kept on the rooftop of the house caught fire.

As many as 12 people were killed in a similar explosion in Purba Midnapore’s Egra last week. The prime accused in the Egra case, who had escaped after the incident, later succumbed to his injuries in neighbouring Odisha.

‘Bengal like Ukraine’: BJP demands NIA probe

Demanding a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the Budge Budge incident, Leader of Opposition in Assembly and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari tweeted, “… if one calculates & compares the number of explosions that have taken place on Ukrainian soil (since Russian invasion), the number would be fewer than the explosions that took place in West Bengal during this time.”

“The smell of burning flesh and explosive residue is still hovering in Khadikul Village of Egra & victims are still extremely critical when another explosion happens at Nandarampur Daspara Village under Budge Budge Police Station area in South 24 Parganas district. As of now 3 persons, all of them women (most probably) were charred to death, with the number of casualties most likely to go up,” he added.

“When will @MamataOfficial wake up & smell the burnt flesh of charred bodies? How many more deaths would shake her conscience?

As usual Mamata Police is doing what they do best. Tampering with evidence at night with fewer prying eyes,” he said.

Hitting out at the Opposition party, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Manufacturing firecrackers is an industry. Whether it is legal or not that is for the police to see. Are firecrackers and bombs the same?”

Blast at Birbhum village, no casualty

A blast took place at a house in Ghopara village of Birbhum district. The house belongs to Sheikh Shafiq, a local Trinamool Congress supporter, it is learnt.

Some local residents alleged that some crude bombs stored near the stairs of Shafiq’s house went off, causing a panic in the area. A team from the Dubrajpur police station reached the spot after receiving information about the incident and started probe.

The intensity of the blast was such that the walls and roof of the house collapsed. However, no casualty was reported.