THE POLICE on Wednesday said they arrested one person – Chandrakant Banik – in connection with an explosion in the Dholahat area of West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district that claimed the lives of eight other members of the Banik family. The arrest comes after a non-bailable case was registered against Chandrakant and his brother Tushar by the police, citing charges including storing dangerous substances and unintentional murder, along with violations of the Fire Act.

Chandrakant, who reportedly managed a major chunk of the family’s business, and Tushar, who assisted him, are now the central focus of the police investigation, officers said. According to sources, a report submitted by the District Magistrate to Nabanna has claimed that the family did not have  the licence necessary to operate a firecracker factory.

Further investigation suggests that the family was allegedly manufacturing banned fireworks under the guise of producing environmentally friendly or “green” fireworks. Authorities found no evidence of green fireworks among the substantial quantity of fireworks and raw materials recovered from the factory and godown following the explosion. Instead, a cache of prohibited items, including cell phones, loud fireworks, and water bombs, was discovered.

The incident occurred when an explosion ripped through the family home, killing Chandrakant and Tushar’s father, Arvind Banik (65), their grandmother, Prabhavati Banik (80), Chandrakant’s wife, Santwana Banik (28), their two children, Arnav Banik (9) and Asmita Banik (8 months), and Tushar’s two children, Anushka Banik (6) and Ankit Banik (6 months). Tushar’s wife, Rupa Banik, who was critically injured, succumbed to injuries later in a Kolkata hospital. Chandrakant, Tushar, and their mother Menaka were not present in the house at the time of the explosion

In 2022, the environmental court had granted the family a certificate to produce green firecrackers, explicitly prohibiting the manufacture of sound-emitting fireworks. The discovery of numerous banned fireworks has raised serious questions about the family’s compliance with these regulations and the extent of their alleged illegal operations.

The focus of the investigation now turns to how such a large quantity of banned fireworks was being manufactured and stored at the residence under the pretense of producing environmentally friendly alternatives. The revelation of this illegal operation has brought to light the potential dangers of unregulated firecracker production.

“On Wednesday, the Kakdwip High Court granted four days of police custody for the accused, Chandrakant Banik, allowing more time to delve into the circumstances surrounding the blast and their business activities,” said a police officer.