683 kg of banned firecrackers seized in Delhi’s Budh Vihar, three arrested

Delhi Police arrested three men and seized around 683 kg of prohibited firecrackers worth ₹35 lakh from a godown in Budh Vihar on Thursday, after allegedly catching them while they were preparing to transport the consignment.

The accused have been identified as Chand, 49, Ram Kumar, 47, and Ravi, 35, all residents of Rohini in northwest Delhi. Police said a Hyundai Santro car and a scooter used to transport the firecrackers were also seized.

Police raid godown after receiving information

The action was carried out by the district Special Staff following credible information about the illegal storage and transportation of banned firecrackers.

The team, led by Special Staff in-charge Sandeep Godara, raided the premises and found the three men loading the prohibited firecrackers from the godown into a Hyundai Santro and onto a scooter, deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal said.

“A case was registered and the three were arrested,” Jaiswal said.

Police said Chand works as a contractor supplying building construction material, while Ram Kumar and Ravi are his employees.

Consignment allegedly came from Rohtak factory

During questioning, police said, the three men disclosed that the firecrackers had been procured from a factory in Rohtak, Haryana.

Investigators have issued a notice to the factory owner seeking an explanation for the supply of the banned firecrackers to Delhi. The owner has also been directed to join the investigation, according to a police officer.

The investigation is therefore also examining the source of the consignment and how the prohibited firecrackers were brought into the national capital.

Firecrackers allegedly prepared weeks before Diwali

According to police, Chand told investigators that he had produced the firecrackers more than a month and a half before Diwali.

Police said he planned to sell the stock well in advance at two to three times its actual price in order to maximise profits.

The seizure comes ahead of Diwali, when Delhi Police traditionally step up checks against the illegal storage, sale and transportation of prohibited firecrackers.

FIR registered under BNS and Explosives Act

An FIR has been registered at the Bush Vihar police station under sections 223, 228 and 3 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with section 9(B) of the Explosives Act.

Section 223 concerns disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant, while section 228 relates to fabricating false evidence. Section 3 concerns acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.

Police said further investigation is underway, including the role of the Rohtak-based factory from which the consignment was allegedly procured.