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Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen – part of a delegation that visited Egra in Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district Wednesday after an explosion at an illegal firecracker unit killed nine people and injured seven others – said chief minister Mamata Banerjee had no objection to a probe by the National Investigation Agency, as demanded by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
“Yesterday, CM madam said she did not have any issue with the NIA. So they (the opposition) are constantly questioning this… to make it more significant. It doesn’t concern us. We met members of victims’ families, we assured them families will be looked after. This is not a small political matter.”
“Nine people died… it is a significant and sad issue. The CID investigation is on and the report will come, we will all get it,” the Trinamool lawmaker said.
Within hours of the incident – which took place Tuesday – Mamata Banerjee had ordered a probe by West Bengal Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and announced compensation of ₹2.5lakh each for the families of those killed and ₹1 lakh for the injured.
“The owner of the illegal factory used to sell fireworks to people in Odisha and Bangladesh. He has escaped to Odisha, according to information collected by the police. He will not be spared. The police arrested him on October 19 last year and the factory was sealed. The police submitted chargesheet in the case but this man was granted bail by a local court,” the chief minister briefed the press.
She also said action will be taken against the official in charge of the Egra Police Station. She questioned why didn’t he know that the factory had been running and several witnesses and residents had claimed that six such explosions had already taken place in the factory in the last four years.
Dola Sen’s response came after the BJP’s state unit boss Sukanta Majumdar demanded the NIA probe; “NIA is already probing similar explosions that have taken place in recent years,” he said.
The BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, who is the Leader of the Opposition and Mamata Banerjee’s one-time close aide, tweeted, “I am receiving news from the ground that the number of casualties is enormous. Immediately Central Forces should be deployed as dead bodies are being shifted illegally by Mamata Police” and urged union home minister Amit Shah and Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose to order the NIA to take over inquiries ‘as early as possible before evidence is tampered’.
Adhikari also met victims’ families and said ‘grieving family members and disgruntled locals’ told him of an ‘illegal operation… with Mamata Police looking away in exchange for money’.
“They (the locals) had complained many times (about the fireworks factory) but every time their pleas fell on deaf ears. Family members and local residents are demanding NIA investigation, which I feel appropriate. I have assured them all the help and assistance they need.” Adhikari also claimed the state government’s compensation be increased to ₹10 lakhs for victim’s families.
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