Kaushambi firecracker factory blast: Reward of Rs 25,000 each announced for info on 3 accused

Kaushambi (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 1 (AHN) The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for three absconding suspects wanted in connection with the deadly firecracker factory blast in Kaushambi, which claimed 11 lives.

Superintendent of Police Satyanarayan Prajapat announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for information leading to the arrest of three absconding accused - Shakeel, Kahaksha Bano and Adil, said an official statement.

As part of action against the accused in the Mohammadpur Manauri Firecracker Factory explosion, the police arrested main accused Naushad following an encounter on the Terah Mile-Syed Sarawan road in the Charwa police station area around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, an official said.

Eleven people were killed, and five others suffered serious injuries after an explosion ripped through an illegal firecracker manufacturing and storage facility in Chilla Shahbazi village, under the Pipri police station area in Kaushambi, at around 11.30 a.m. on Monday.

According to police, an informant provided a tip-off that Naushad, the alleged main accused in the firecracker factory explosion, was attempting to flee the city following the incident. Acting on the information, a police team launched a search operation and laid a siege in the area to prevent his escape.

CO Shivank Singh said that after the explosion, four teams were constituted on the instructions of the Superintendent of Police with the specific objective of apprehending the main accused. The teams were continuously conducting raids at possible hideouts and tracking leads regarding his whereabouts.

In a related development, the seven police personnel, including the then Inspector-in-Charge of Pipri Police Station, have been suspended for alleged gross negligence resulting in the tragedy, said an official.

According to a press note issued by the Inspector General of Police, Prayagraj Range, the investigation into the factory blast revealed that the permit for operating the firecracker manufacturing and storage facility had been suspended on April 4, 2024, after irregularities were found during the proceedings.

Despite the suspension of the permit, the accused allegedly continued manufacturing and storing firecrackers illegally at the premises, putting the lives of workers and residents in the surrounding area at risk, said an official.