Two days after Dewas cracker factory blast, heads finally roll

Indore: Two days after a deadly blast at a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district claimed killed five workers and left several more critically injured, heads finally started to roll as four senior administrative and police officers were suspended for gross negligence of duty.

In another major breakthrough as the probe into the incident picked up pace, the police named a Delhi-based businessman as the fifth accused.

The suspensions were part of the concurrent disciplinary action initiated by the state govt and district administration in the aftermath of the cracker blast.

The blast, on May 14, also left 25 others injured, several of whom remain in critical condition.

Following initial reports of regulatory lapses, Divisional Commissioner Asheesh Singh and SP Punit Gehlod issued suspension orders under the MP Civil Services Rules.

The suspended officials include Sanjeev Saxena (SDM, Tonkkhurd), Ravi Sharma (Naib Tehsildar, Chidawad), Deepa Mandve (SDOP, Sonkatch) and Ramandeep Hundal (Chouki In-charge, Tonkkala).

The orders state that these officials failed to conduct the mandatory monthly administrative inspections of the explosive units.

The factory was reportedly hoarding gunpowder and commercial explosives far exceeding its permitted license capacity, while operating without basic safety infrastructure. The suspended officials will remain attached to the Dewas Collectorate during the inquiry period.

Dewas SP Punit Gehlod told TOI that Mukesh Viz, a businessman based in Delhi’s Janakpuri, has been named as the fifth accused, adding that three police teams have been sent to Delhi to locate and arrest Viz.

According to senior police officials, Viz allegedly rented a warehouse located 300 meters from the primary blast site to package illegal firecrackers. Law enforcement seized a large stockpile of finished explosives, raw materials, and packaging wrappers from this location. Fire tenders neutralised the seized materials on-site using water sprays.

Meanwhile, intelligence sources revealed that the licensed owner of the factory, Anil Malviya, was registered on the Below Poverty Line (BPL) list until seven months ago and received subsidised rations.

Authorities suspect Malviya acted as a proxy or frontman, while Viz was the actual financier and operator of the unit. For further interrogation, Dewas police have sought remand of Malviya and another co-accused, Aajas Khan, who are currently in jail under the National Security Act (NSA).

Earlier, the state govt ordered a judicial probe into the tragedy under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. Retired High Court Justice Subhash Kakade has been appointed as the single-member commission to investigate the incident and submit a report within a month.

Additionally, Dewas Collector Rituraj Singh has formed a specialised technical team comprising the superintending engineer of the Electricity department, the regional officer of the Pollution Control Board, and the deputy director of Industrial Health and Safety.

The factory premises have been sealed and teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) have gathered chemical samples for analysis.

Injured workers remain highly critical

The medical status of the injured laborers—mostly migrant workers from Bihar—remained highly critical.

Three patients with 99% chemical burns were under round-the-clock observation at Amaltas Hospital in Dewas. Doctors stated that these victims suffered dry chemical burns and internal inhalation injuries, which can cause severe lung damage, hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells) and rapid kidney failure.

Three other victims with over 80% burns were undergoing treatment at MY Hospital in Indore. Dr Ashok Yadav, superintendent of MY Hospital, said these patients require intensive monitoring to manage severe dehydration, respiratory tract damage and high risks of secondary infections due to the loss of skin protective layers.

One additional patient with severe head injuries was, however, reported to be in stable condition.