Illegal firecracker factory operating under warehouse seized in Baran, case lodged

Kota: Acting on repeated complaints by locals, district administration and police swung into action Friday and busted a firecracker manufacturing unit operating illegally under the cover of a warehouse and sales unit on Atru Road, under Baran City Police Station in Baran district. Officials said the unit, reportedly operating as "Khandelwal Agency", was functioning without a valid firecracker manufacturing licence in a densely populated area along the roadside, posing significant safety risks. The premises also lacked mandatory fire safety equipment and firefighting arrangements, despite being located close to residential houses and wheat fields. While the owner produced a licence for sales and storage of firecrackers, materials used in manufacturing and assembly was found on the spot. Local residents stated that the area was akin to sitting on a "powder keg", where even a minor spark could trigger a major tragedy. The matter gained attention after repeated complaints by local resident Bhanu Pratap Singh, who warned of self-immolation in case no action was taken, and called the police. He claimed he had lodged complaints through the Chief Minister's portal and raised the matter up to Home Minister Amit Shah, but alleged that no concrete action was taken so far. Later in the day, Baran SDM Vishwajeet Singh, trainee RPS Bhajanlal, also in-charge of Baran City Police Station, and municipal council commissioner Bhuvnesh Kumar conducted an on-site inspection and discovered the irregularities and illegal operation of manufacturing firecrackers.Bhajanlal said, "During the inspection, it was found that firecracker manufacturing was being carried out illegally under the cover of a storage warehouse licence. No valid documents related to factory operations for manufacturing firecrackers were produced." He said, "Although no workers were present at the time of inspection, clear evidence of firecracker manufacturing was found at the site."Following the initial inquiry, three godowns of the factory were sealed and a case was registered under the Explosive Act. Further investigation in the matter is underway; however, no arrest has been made so far.