Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Latur rural police raided an illegal firecracker (sutli bomb) manufacturing unit at Mamdapur on Monday afternoon and seized a large quantity of finished and unfinished firecrackers, along with raw materials used to make them.
Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted the raid around 4 pm. Police identified the supervisor as Limbaraj Ganpati More (42), a resident of Mamdapur in rural Latur. Preliminary inquiries indicated that the unit was owned by Asif Rasul Shaikh (32), a resident of Tajuddin Baba Dargah Road near Ambedkar Chowk in Latur. Further action is being taken under the Explosives Act, 1884, the Explosives Rules, 2008, and other applicable legal provisions, depending on the findings of the investigation.
The preliminary inspection also revealed that safety arrangements and protective equipment for handling explosives were apparently inadequate, potentially endangering the workers and people living nearby.
Latur superintendent of police Amol Tambe said police initiated action after receiving specific intelligence about the illegal operation. We are verifying the permissions and investigating the role of everyone involved,” he said. Those present could not produce the required licence for manufacturing sutli bombs, the police said.
Six women workers and a supervisor were found at the site, where safety arrangements for handling explosive substances appeared inadequate. They found manufacturing activity underway in a tin shed measuring approximately 15×50 feet on the roadside, located in a field owned by Chandrakant Dhanwe, as well as in the adjoining open area. “The manufacture and handling of explosive substances without the requisite licences and safety arrangements can pose a serious threat to workers as well as residents in the surrounding area. Police found finished sutli bombs, partially manufactured firecrackers, strings, paper, sulphur and other production materials during an inspection of a unit in Latur. Police are conducting a panchnama of the site, quantifying and seizing the materials and verifying relevant documents.