Kanpur blast was due to illegal firecrackers storage, no terrorism links: Police

Kanpur: The massive explosion in the congested Mishri Bazaar near a mosque here was caused due to illegal firecracker storage, and not because of scooter explosion which was initially suggested as the reason for the incident, top police brass confirmed on Thursday.

In a press conference, the Kanpur Police also denied links to any terrorist activity in the explosions.

The CCTV footage reviewed by investigators revealed that the blast was triggered by a cardboard box kept outside a toy shop, not by any vehicles. It occurred in front a toy shop on the Meston Road, damaging two parked scooters and nearby shops and injuring at least eight people.

Commissioner of Police (Kanpur) Raghubir Lal confirmed that the explosion was purely accidental and caused by illegal stocking of fireworks.

"No evidence of any terrorist organisation or extremist involvement has been found. This was an accident caused by illegal firecracker storage," he said.

"We have categorically dismissed the claims falsely linking the explosion to a nearby mosque and involvement of groups such as 'Khalistan Zindabad Force' as baseless and misleading," Lal asserted.

A large cache of explosives and fireworks was later recovered from a neighbouring shop and a nearby godown around 25 metres from the blast site, he said.

Around one quintal fireworks was sezied from the adjacent shop and around 3 quintal crackers were recovered from a godown nearby. "We have detained 12 people for illegally storing and selling fireworks without a licence", Lal claimed.

A person identified as Tariq has emerged as the key suspect and he has gone underground to evade arrest. Efforts are on to trace and detain him at earliest, Lal added.

One of the two scooters recovered from the site was found to be stolen, while the other belonged to Ashwani, who was injured in the blast and was shifted to Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow along with 3 other injured persons.

Five police personnel, including the Station House Officer (Moolganj) Vikram Singh, have been suspended for their negligence, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kotwali) Ashutosh Kumar has been transferred from.

Authorities continue to conduct search and seizure operations in the area to locate other potential stockpiles of explosives ahead of the festive season.

The police commissioner said among the injured four received critical burns and were shifted to SGPGI, while two others were discharged after first aid. The remaining two are undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Joint Police Commissioner (law and order) Ashutosh Kumar said the shops found locked may be sealed or opened by legal procedure for inspection.

The CCTV footage and forensic evidence are being collected, and strict action will follow against those responsible for the illegal trade and any negligent officials, he added.

Combing operations have been intensified across the area with police urging citizens to avoid rumours and cooperate with the investigation.

Police teams, along with fire department and forensic unit, continued their search and seizure operations late into the night to prevent any further mishaps ahead of the festive season, an official said.

During the late-night operation, teams from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Military Intelligence (MI) joined the investigation to rule out any terror angle, he added.