Latest news with #ExplosivesAct
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Muktsar cracker unit blast: Owner's son, labour contractor arrested
The Muktsar police on Saturday arrested two more persons in connection with the illegal firecracker unit explosion in Fatuhiwala village that claimed the lives of five migrant workers and left 28 others injured early on Friday morning. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Akhil Chaudhary confirmed the arrests of Navraj Singh, a resident of Singhewala village, and Raj Kumar, a labour contractor from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. The two have been booked for allegedly violating safety norms and operating an unlicenced firecracker manufacturing unit that led to the deadly mishap. 'Navraj is the son of Tarsem Singh, who was arrested on Friday. Both are co-owners of the unit. Preliminary investigation reveals that Navraj had applied for a firecracker manufacturing licence but did not obtain one. Despite this, operations continued illegally,' SSP Chaudhary said. Most of the workers at the illegal unit were reportedly hired by Raj Kumar, who was present at the site during the blast but fled the scene and went into hiding after the incident. He had switched off his mobile phone and evaded arrest until Saturday. According to the first information report (FIR) registered at the Lambi police station, Sukhchain Kaur, wife of Tarsem Singh, has also been booked under multiple charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder (Section 105 IPC), voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means (Section 118(2) IPC), and criminal act done by several persons with common intention (Section 3(5)), along with violations under the Explosives Act and the Factories Act. The land where the illegal factory was operating is registered in her name. The explosion razed a two-storey structure located in the fields near the boundary of Fatuhiwala and Singhewala villages. Authorities are awaiting a forensic report to determine the exact cause of the blast. 'Our teams acted swiftly to apprehend the key accused. We are now investigating how the accused procured explosive materials without having a valid license,' added SSP Chaudhary. Survivors' statements have been recorded, and police say more arrests could follow as the probe continues.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
5 buried alive, 34 hurt as 2-storey firecracker factory collapses in blast in Muktsar: Police
Five workers were buried alive and 34 others injured as a two-storey firecracker factory building collapsed in a powerful blast at Singhewala village in Punjab's Muktsar district on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, police said, adding the factory owner has been arrested. Muktsar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abhijeet Kaplish said seriously injured persons were admitted to AIIMS, Bathinda, while others were being treated at the Civil Hospital under the Punjab government's Farishtey scheme. 'The firecracker unit was operating without permission required under the Explosives Rules, 2008. As of now, our top priority is treatment and taking care of the injured persons. A detailed inquiry is underway, and strictest action will be taken against those found guilty,' the DC said. The owner had reportedly submitted a request before the DC's office for necessary approval, but the file was yet to be processed. Lambi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jaspal Singh said the explosion took place between 12 midnight and 1 am. 'We responded swiftly and recovered five bodies from the debris. The rescue operation was over by the afternoon,' the DSP told The Indian Express. 'At least 34 people were injured and admitted to various hospitals, including the Civil Hospital in Badal and AIIMS, Bathinda. As per reports, all are stable,' the DSP said. According to reports, 28 patients were still undergoing treatment at various hospitals, while six were sent home after first aid. Muktsar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhil Chaudhary said, 'The preliminary investigation finds manufacturing and packaging of firecrackers were being carried out on the same premises. Moreover, several workers were living on the factory premises. A few workers were doing packaging work while others were sleeping when the blast took place, and the building collapsed.' 'It seems the blast was caused by material used in the manufacturing of firecrackers, though the exact cause can be ascertained after investigations and forensic examinations. Our forensic team is investigating the spot to determine what triggered the blast,' the SSP said. After the preliminary investigation, Muktsar police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against factory owner Tarsem Singh and his son Navraj Singh. The factory owner was arrested, police said. Police said the accused were booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt using dangerous means) and 3(5) (group liability in crimes committed with shared intent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), section 98 of the Explosives Act, 1884, which empowers the central government to prohibit dangerous explosive activities, and section 92 of the Factories Act, 1948, which deals with penalties for violation of safety and regulatory norms. The father-son duo was running the factory, while papers submitted at the DC office, seeking a licence, were in the name of Navraj, police sources said. Police said that they were trying to establish the identity of the deceased persons. Coworkers who can help identify the deceased are hospitalised, so it may take some time, they said. The contractor, who would bring workers from Uttar Pradesh, was yet to arrive, which also delayed the identification process, police said. Meanwhile, Punjab Cabinet Minister and Lambi MLA Gurmeet Singh Khuddian visited the injured persons at AIIMS, Bathinda. He inquired about their condition and assured them the Punjab government would bear the entire cost of their treatment. Khuddian also visited the blast site in Singhewala village. The minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased persons on behalf of the Punjab government, a government statement said. The minister said, 'The government stands with the affected families and will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for them. Those liable will not be spared under any circumstances. Strictest legal action will be taken against them.' Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who also met injured workers at AIIMS, termed the incident 'a failure of governance.' Alleging that the illegal factory was running under political patronage, Sukhbir said, 'There were no fire safety measures at the factory where even minor children were employed. I met a few of them. Shockingly, the contractor disappeared after the blast, and the factory owner was of no help to the trapped workers.' Demanding strict action against the accused, Badal said, 'If the government fails to act firmly, the SAD will launch an agitation at the site.' Badal said such tragedies must not repeat in the future. 'We demand immediate compensation for the deceased persons' families and a high-level inquiry into how such a dangerous operation continued unchecked,' the SAD chief said. He urged the state government to ensure accountability and stricter enforcement of industrial safety norms across Punjab
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ex-MLA Kishore Samrite gets 6 months in jail for threatening to blow up Parliament
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday sentenced former Madhya Pradesh MLA Kishore Samrite to six months in jail for threatening to blow up Parliament in September 2022 over his 'unfulfilled demands'. Special Judge Vikas Dhull noted that the threatening letter and the suspicious substance were sent to Parliament "which is the temple of Indian democracy". "It is a forum where issues of all hues and pertaining to national interest are expected to be discussed with decorum and in deference to public aspirations. For the highest contemplative body of the country to be subjected to a threat of being blown up with dynamite and the threatening letter to actually be accompanied by a suspicious substance is indeed a grave circum stance which requires an appropriate sentence," he said. It is equally pertinent that the convict is not just an ordinary citizen, but a former MLA from Lanji in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district, the judge said. "Being most acquainted and sensitised to the security of Parliamentary establishments and more so to the sanctity of such representative institutions, his dispatch of such a threatening letter to the Parliament acted to normalise the threat of violence towards the elected Houses of the Parliament. Judge imposes Rs 50k fine on Samrite If such conduct is not deterred, it raises the prospect of others emulating the course taken by Samrite for voicing his dissent towards government policies. Perhaps, every such threat would not be accompanied by harmless substances," the judge said. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 on Samrite. A parcel containing some suspicious substance related to explosives, besides an Indian flag, and a copy of the Constitution was received through speed post at the Parliament House on September 16, 2022. The judge said that the letter from Samrite, a former MLA from Lanji in Balaghat, threatening to blow up the Parliament building, constituted a threat to cause destruction of property by fire, thereby rendering him liable for conviction under Part II of section 506 of IPC. The judge, however, acquitted Samrite of the charge under Explosives Act, after noting that the substance in question did not constitute an "explosive" under the Act. Samrite was represented by advocate Manish Kumar Choudhary. The court in December 2022 granted bail to the accused noting that the threat to blow off Parliament did not result in any kind of explosion or loss to life or property. The parcel also had a 10page signed complaint of Samrite, from which it was made out that he was showing dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling government and made 70 different demands with a threat to blow off Parliament House on September 30, 2022 if his demands were not fulfilled. During the investigation, it also came to light that the accused has sent a similar parcel to the Supreme Court on September 19, 2022 and a separate FIR was lodged in that regard.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Delhi court sentences former MLA to 6 months in jail for threatening to blow up Parliament
New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Friday sentenced ex-MLA Kishore Samrite to six months of imprisonment for giving a threat to blow up Parliament in September 2022. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him. Samrite is an ex-MLA from Lanji and was convicted of making a threat to blow up the Parliament. On 18.02.2025, the court had convicted him for the offence punishable under section 506 Part II IPC for writing a letter containing a threat. Special judge Vishal Gogne, after hearing submissions on the quantum of sentence, awarded Kishore Samrite six months imprisonment and fined him Rs 50,000. The court has granted him bail to appeal against the judgment. Samrite was acquitted of the offence under the Explosives Act,1884, as the suspicious substance could not be proved an explosive. The court pointed out, 'However, it still bears utmost reiteration that the threatening letter and the suspicious substance were sent to the Parliament of India, which is the temple of Indian democracy.' An FIR under sections 5(a) of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 & 9B(1)(b) of the Explosive Act,1884 was registered by the Crime Branch, Delhi police. The allegation against him was that he threatened to blow up the Parliament of India and the then under construction building of the Parliament with dynamite at 11:00 o'clock on 30.09.2022 by sending a letter of threat (containing certain demands) and a suspicious substance to the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha on 16.09.2022. While sentencing Samrite for the offence under section 506 (II) IPC, the court said that the convict was not just an ordinary citizen. He is a former MLA from Lanji, District Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. The court also said that being most acquainted and sensitised to the security of Parliamentary establishments and more so to the sanctity of such representative institutions, his dispatch of such a threatening letter to the Parliament acted to normalise the threat of violence towards the elected Houses of the Parliament. 'If such conduct is not deterred, it raises the prospect of others emulating the course taken by Mr. Samrite for voicing his dissent towards government policies. Perhaps, every such threat would not be accompanied by harmless substances,' the special judge observed. The court further said that Parliament It is a forum where issues of all hues and pertaining to national interest are expected to be discussed with decorum and in deference to public aspirations. 'For the highest contemplative body of the country to be subjected to a threat of being blown up with dynamite and the threatening letter to actually be accompanied by a suspicious substance is indeed a grave circumstance which requires an appropriate sentence,' the court said. 'Considering the above-noted mitigating and aggravating circumstances, convict Kishore Samrite is sentenced to simple imprisonment for six months along with a fine of Rs 50,000 upon conviction under section 506 Part II IPC,' Special Judge Gogne ordered on May 30. During arguments on sentence, the public prosecutor pressed for the maximum sentence of seven years provided under section 506, Part II, IPC. It was also argued that the convict willingly sent a threatening letter to the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha along with a suspicious substance and that even though the suspicious substance did not turn out to be an explosive or explosive substance, the convict is still guilty of causing grave alarm at the Parliament establishment. The Prosecution prayed that a suitably deterrent sentence was required to be imposed for discouraging such violation of the security of the Parliament of India. He is involved in as many as 20 criminal cases and has previously displayed violent tendencies and the inclination to violate the law. On the other hand, the Counsel for Samrite read the contents of the said letter and argued that the tenor of this letter was only to agitate issues of local, national or public concern including alleged scams, creation of new states, issues pertaining to women and youth, encroachment of public land and like issues. The counsel also cited the period of detention of three months and one day already undergone by the convict during trial and submitted that this period, along with the long duration of trial, has already served as severe punishment and time for reflection for the convict. The court noted that Samrite previously convicted under sections 435, 149, 332, 149, 427, 149 and 147 of the Indian Penal Code and under section 3(1)(x) of SC/ST Act by the Special Judge (SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act), Balaghat, District Balaghat, he is not entitled to be considered for release on probation. (ANI)
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Ex-MLA Gets 6 Months In Jail For Threatening To Blow Up Parliament
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday sentenced former Madhya Pradesh MLA Kishore Samrite to six months in jail for threatening to blow up Parliament in September 2022 over his 'unfulfilled demands'. Special Judge Vikas Dhull noted that the threatening letter and the suspicious substance were sent to Parliament, "which is the temple of Indian democracy". "It is a forum where issues of all hues and pertaining to national interest are expected to be discussed with decorum and in deference to public aspirations. For the highest contemplative body of the country to be subjected to a threat of being blown up with dynamite and the threatening letter to actually be accompanied by a suspicious substance is indeed a grave circumstance which requires an appropriate sentence," he said. It is equally pertinent that the convict is not just an ordinary citizen, but a former MLA from Lanji in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district, the judge said. "Being most acquainted and sensitised to the security of Parliamentary establishments and more so to the sanctity of such representative institutions, his dispatch of such a threatening letter to the Parliament acted to normalise the threat of violence towards the elected Houses of the Parliament. "If such conduct is not deterred, it raises the prospect of others emulating the course taken by Samrite for voicing his dissent towards government policies. Perhaps, every such threat would not be accompanied by harmless substances," the judge said. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Samrite. A parcel containing some suspicious substance related to explosives, besides an Indian flag, and a copy of the Constitution was received through speed post at the Parliament House on September 16, 2022. The judge said that the letter from Samrite, a former MLA from Lanji in Balaghat, threatening to blow up the Parliament building, constituted a threat to cause destruction of property by fire, thereby rendering him liable for conviction under Part II of section 506 of IPC. The judge, however, acquitted Samrite of the charge under Explosives Act, after noting that the substance in question did not constitute an "explosive" under the Act. Samrite was represented by advocate Manish Kumar Choudhary. The court had, in December 2022, granted bail to the accused noting that the threat to blow off Parliament did not result in any kind of explosion or loss to life or property. The parcel also had a 10-page signed complaint of Samrite, from which it was made out that he was showing dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling government and made 70 different demands with a threat to blow off Parliament House on September 30, 2022, if his demands were not fulfilled. During the investigation, it also came to light that the accused has sent a similar parcel to the Supreme Court on September 19, 2022 and a separate FIR was lodged in that regard.
