Kanpur blast: 5 cops suspended, ACP removed; probe reveals illegal fireworks storage behind explosion | Kanpur News
KANPUR: After a blast in Kanpur injured eight people, Commissioner of Police Raghveer Lal suspended five police personnel and removed Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kotwali Ashutosh Kumar. Lal stated that the investigation revealed the blast was caused by the illegal storage of fireworks. A significant amount of fireworks was seized near the shop where the explosion occurred. Additionally, a large quantity of explosive materials used in making high-intensity fireworks was found in a nearby warehouse. He mentioned that action was taken against the police officers because, despite the upcoming Diwali festival, no proper drive against illegal fireworks was conducted, leading to this incident.Commissioner of Police further stated that on Wednesday evening at approximately 7:15 hours, a blast occurred involving two scooters in front of a toy shop located at Mishri Bazaar on Meston Road under the Moolganj police station area. Approximately eight persons were injured in the incident. Of these, four persons in critical condition were immediately referred to Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, while two sustained minor injuries and were sent home after primary treatment, and the remaining two continue to receive treatment at the hospital.During the preliminary investigation, it became clear that the case is related to illegal firecrackers stocking. Nearly one quintal of firecrackers was recovered near the shop where the explosion occurred. Additionally, a warehouse approximately 25 metres away was found to contain excessive quantities of high explosive materials used in the manufacture of firecrackers. The owner, Tariq, was detained.All claims circulating on social media linking this incident to occurring near a mosque and activities like “Khalistan Zindabad Force” are completely false and misleading. This is a local-level accident that arose from illegally keeping and storing firecrackers.Legal action is being taken against those keeping firecrackers without a licence in this regard. So far, 12 persons involved in the incident have been identified and detained, and necessary action is being taken. Two scooters were recovered from the scene, of which one belongs to Ashwini Kumar, who has been referred to Lucknow in critical condition, while the second scooter was found to be stolen.No evidence of any kind of terrorist activity or involvement of any particular organisation has been found in the incident. This is purely a local incident related to illegal firecrackers.Upon finding negligence during the investigation, five police personnel, including the SHO, have been suspended, and the concerned Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) has been removed with immediate effect, Lal stated further.
