Rourkela: Personnel from the Plant Site police station have seized firecrackers worth Rs 18 lakh from two businessmen here. They had illegally stored the firecrackers keeping in mind the upcoming festive season. The firecrackers were consigned to flames Monday evening by police personnel in presence of a magistrate. It was like a mini-Deepavali festival when the seized crackers were lighted. Along with the police, the local bystanders also enjoyed the scene. The two businessmen, identified as Ajaya Kumar Gupta and Bikash Agarwal, have been detained by the police under the Explosive Act. Police said they did not have the requisite licence to store the firecrackers.
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SDPO Zone 1 Nirmal Chandra Mohapatra informed that police had seized a huge quantity of firecrackers Saturday. “We had information that the businessmen had stored the crackers at Bondamunda and near the Plant Site locality. So, we conducted a raid and found those in their possession. As they could not produce any valid documents for storing firecrackers we seized those and detained them,” Mohapatra informed. “The raids will continue as these are very dangerous items and cannot be stored without a proper license. Also, they have to be kept in a proper storage place, not just anywhere. We have designated 8-10 places where firecrackers can be stored and sold. Anyone violating the rules will face disciplinary action,” Mohapatra added.