Firecracker blast: Arrested owner attended safety session last week

Firecracker unit owners and traders surprised how the accused stored illegal material

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Chandrakanta Banik, prime accused in the series of firecracker blasts at his residential premises at Dakshin Raipur under Dholahat police station in South 24-Parganas district, had attended a training programme on crackers safety awareness at Batanagar on 24 March.

Chandrakanta was produced before the court in Kakdwip today while his brother Tushar has been absconding so far till this evening.

The accused attended the training hardly a week before the incident occurred on 31 March night that claimed eight lives, including four babies, all belonging to his family.

According to sources in the district administration, senior officials of the state directorate of factories had attended the event organised by the All Bengal Trinamul Green Firecrackers Manufacturing Workers Union.