Second accused in Bengal firecracker factory blast case arrested

Kolkata, April 4 (IANS) The absconding second accused, Tushar Banik, in the devastating Patharpratima blast case has been arrested by the West Bengal Police, officials said here on Friday.

The blast took place on April 1 in an illegal firecracker factory at Patharpratima in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, which claimed eight lives, including three children.

Earlier a day after the blast, the police arrested Tushar’s elder brother Chandrakanta Banik, a co-accused in the case.

The Banik brothers jointly owned the house at Patharpratima where the illegal firecracker factory was housed.

A district police official said that Tushar Banik was hiding at one of his relative's places after he went absconding following the blast. On being tipped off by their sources, a team of cops from the local Dholahat Police station raided the residence of that relative late Thursday night and arrested the second accused in the case.

He will be presented at a district court on Friday afternoon, and the public prosecutor will seek his police custody.

While Chandrakanta Banik had a prior criminal antecedent of being arrested in 2022 on charges of trading illegal firecrackers, Tushar also has a record of a dubious past. After being denied a “green licence” in 2023 because of objections from the district administration, Chandrakanta somehow managed to get an ordinary trade licence from a local panchayat and continued running his illegal outlet.

For the last couple of years, West Bengal has witnessed several deaths due to blasts in illegal firecracker factories or warehouses.

In February this year, four persons were killed and several others were injured following a blast at a firecracker factory at Kalyani in the Nadia district.

In 2023, as many as nine persons were killed in a similar blast at an illegal firecracker factory at Egra in the East Midnapore district. There were similar blasts at Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas and Duttapukur in North 24 Parganas districts during the last couple of years, killing several people.

Every time after the blasts, the administration warns of strong action against such illegal firecracker entities. Police raids continue for some time and fade away soon.

--IANS

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