Behind death of nine at Bengal unit, factory owner with clout and his notorious past

“From bombs that kill to firecrackers used at weddings, everything was made at Bhanu’s factory,” claimed Alpana Jana, sister-in-law of Jayanta Jana (35), who is among the victims.

Jayanta had been working there for two years and would earn a little over Rs 10,000 a month.

“I would tell him it was better to earn a little less than to risk one’s life. He didn’t listen. I knew it wasn’t just firecrackers they were making,” claimed his wife Suma.

Such was the impact of the blast that a hand and a leg were severed from Jayanta’s body.

The blast also cast a pall of gloom at the home of Manju Patra. In 1995, when she was in class 7, Manju lost her father Ananta Bag while he was working for Bhanu. On Tuesday, she received a call informing her that her cousin Shaktipad and sister-in-law Kavita had been killed in the blast.

“I grew up without my father. Today I have lost my cousin, who was like my brother,” she said, crying inconsolably.

Speaking to The Indian Express, a top CID official who is part of the probe team said: “Primarily it’s an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit. We were there for hours and examined the spot. The forensic team has collected samples and if there is anything that hints at something else, that will definitely come out in the chemical examination.”

Bhanu set up the factory on one bigha of land at an isolated location, open from four sides and in the middle of a field. Till three years ago, he was running another unit around 500 metres away, but only raw materials are stored there now.

Alpana said Bhanu had been in the business for over 30 years, and had recently hired more people. Out of 12 who were working there at the time of the explosion, four-five had joined recently.

Among them was 19-year-old Alok Maity, who joined two months ago. His father Gorango Maity, a Jatra artist, recalls fighting with Bhanu over this. “He told me he had procured a licence and I could check with the police. We knew he had dealings in Bengal and Odisha. He used to make crude bombs on demand, while on a regular basis he would produce only firecrackers. No one had the courage to take him on,” he alleged.

The ill-fated factory is located around 20 kilometres from the Odisha border. While there is no festival on the horizon, villagers claim there had been a flurry of activity at the factory of late.

Also among the victims was Madhabi Bag, whose son Akash (13) had a narrow escape. Madhabi’s husband Sanjit is a driver and earns around Rs 5,000 a month, but their financial condition had improved ever since she joined Bhanu’s factory.