Egra Firecracker Factory Blast: West Bengal CID Team Raids Odisha Village

Balasore: A team of West Bengal police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted a raid at a village under Kamarda area of Odisha’s Balasore district on Saturday in connection with the explosion at an illegal firecracker factory at Egra in East Midnapore district that claimed ten lives.

The three-member CID team raided the residence of a relative of prime accused Bhanu Bag at Mahabag village under the jurisdiction of Kamarda police station. The team members questioned relatives of the prime accused and also reportedly picked up a youth in this connection, sources said.

Prime accused Bhanu, who died at a hospital in Cuttack on Friday, had been arrested by the CID on Thursday along with his son, Prithvijit Bag and nephew Biswajit Bag.

However, Bhanu, who himself suffered severe burn injuries in the deadly explosion, could not be released from the hospital.

Although the initial police investigation has suggested that the explosion was probably from the firecracker manufacturing raw material stocked at the illegal factory, the opposition parties have claimed that the impact of the explosion proves that not firecrackers but crude bombs were being manufactured there.