Bawana: Cartons of crackers found in the gutted factory

NEW DELHI: When a police team entered the Bawana firecracker unit after 17 people were killed in a blaze on Saturday, it found many empty firecracker packets scattered inside, says the FIR registered on the basis of a statement by a Delhi Police subinspector.

The FIR states him as saying that when the police team entered the building for post-accident inspection, there were cartons lying with brand names like Leopard King, Corsair and Power House written on them.

These are all popular fireworks brand and the names were visible even after the packets were burned, said the police.

This is contrary to the claims of Manoj Jain, the businessman who was arrested for illegally running the unit. Jain told the police that he was using the three-storey building to store colours.

The FIR also describes how the firefighting arrangement was inadequate. “There was no arrangement for a fire extinguisher and no emergency exit points. There was only one entry and exit point,” states the FIR.

The police team from the Shahbad Dairy police station had carried out the site inspection immediately after the fire was doused. A team of the Crime Branch, which is investigating the case, also inspected the site on Monday.

Jain has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and under the Explosives Act. A city court on Monday issued a production warrant against accused Manoj Jain for January 24. Jain was sent to judicial custody for one day on Sunday. He was to be produced before the court on Monday. However, police informed the court on Monday that Jain could not be produced from judicial custody as sufficient police force was not available on account of Republic Day arrangement.

Police added that the accused would not be produced on Tuesday as well due to full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day Parade. The court directed that the accused is produced positively on January 24 by 11am.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Monday identified one more victim of the 17 people killed taking number of identified deceased to 15. “The deceased has been identified as 18-yearold Avinash Yadav,” said DCP (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta.