New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) Intensifying its probe into an explosion near a cinema hall at Rohini, the Delhi Police has started inquiring with the nearby factory owners as it is suspected that chemical wastes were dumped in the area, officials sources said on Friday.
The low-intensity blast that occurred on Thursday, nearly 40 days after an explosion was reported from a CRPF school in the same area, left one person injured and triggered panic among locals.
Police have registered an FIR regarding the explosion and formed more than a dozen of teams to crack the case.
According to the police sources, the investigators have prepared a list of factory owners and former firecracker manufacturers and started verifying if their employees were involved in dumping chemical wastes in the area.
“Police suspect that despite a ban on firecrackers, some people might be engaged in firecracker manufacturing secretly,” one of the sources said.
As of now, police have not found any terror angle in the incident but they have also have not ruled out such a possibility.
“We are working on all possible angles. We are verifying everyone, including the factory owners and former firecracker manufacturers at Prashant Vihar and the surrounding areas,” a senior police officer, who is privy to the investigations, said.
The investigators are also looking at the possibility of an accidental explosion that might have occurred due to the unextinguished “beedi” butt thrown by the driver of a three-wheeler parked nearby. Chetan Kushwaha, the driver, sustained minor injuries in the explosion.
Police suspect that a white powdered chemical that was found at the blast site is a composition of hyrdogen peroxide, borates and nitrates, and similar to the one used in the October 20 blast.
“Police have also questioned mischievous elements residing in the nearby areas. The needle of suspicion has also gone towards those who were unhappy with police and might have tried to challenge security agencies,” another source said.
An office of the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch is located a few steps away from the spot.
A case under section 326(g) (mischief with severe consequences to public safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act has been registered at the Prashant Vihar police station, an officer said.
The case has been lodged against unidentified people and efforts are underway to arrest those who dumped or planted the explosive material at the site, the officer added.
More than a dozen teams of the Special Cell, Crime Branch and local police have scanned the footage collected from CCTV cameras installed in the area but nothing suspicious has been found yet, he said.
Local residents, sweepers and security guards have also been questioned, the officer said.
Meanwhile, the area remains cordoned off with round-the-clock police deployment. A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials visited the spot and held a meeting with the local police.
Police on Thursday said a white powder was seized from the blast site.
The explosion took place in front of a sweet shop near a park — about 500 metres away from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) school where a strong blast ripped through its wall on October 20.
Police suspect that the two explosions are linked as a white powder was found from both the spots, a senior officer said. PTI ALK RC
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