Illegal firecracker godown busted in Begum Bazar, Rs 6 lakh stock seized

Acting on credible information, the Commissioner’s Task Force, South-East Zone team, in coordination with Afzalgunj Police, raided an illegal firecracker storage unit in Begum Bazar on Wednesday and seized explosive stock worth nearly Rs. 6 lakh.

The raid, carried out at a godown opposite Mali Bhavan in Kolsawadi, Begum Bazar, resulted in the arrest of Mahipal Singh (23), a businessman residing in the DR Complex, Kolsawadi. Singh, originally from the Jalore district of Rajasthan, was allegedly storing a large quantity of explosive firecrackers in a residential building without a valid license.

The team confiscated a large stock of fireworks consisting of 250 cartons of “Original Wonder Throw” (each carton containing 40 boxes), 30 cartons of “Original Tiger”, one carton of “Turkey”, six cartons of “Oscar Firework”, and 80 cartons of “Andhi Toofan.” In addition to the explosives, police also seized an iPhone and a OnePlus smartphone, with the total haul valued at approximately Rs. 6,00,000.

Police said that storing such a massive cache of firecrackers in a densely populated residential area posed a serious threat to human lives and property. “The accused knowingly stored explosive crackers without licenses or precautionary measures, which could have led to untoward incidents,” officials stated.