CCB raids three godowns in city, seize firecrackers worth Rs 40 lakh

Bengaluru: The city’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) police raided three illegal firecracker godowns and booked the operators.

The CCB said on Friday that its sleuths also seized firecrackers worth Rs 40 lakh. Its Special Enquiry and Women Protection Wing conducted the raids on October 26 and 31 under the Jeevan Bima Nagar and Jnanabharathi police station limits.

In the first case, CCB officials searched Dahiya Mart on New Thippasandra Main Road on October 26 and found that the owner, Sharavan, and his brother, Hukum Singh, were storing firecrackers illegally to sell them for a higher price to the public. Officials found that the duo had stored the crackers in a residential area.

Officials seized firecrackers worth Rs 25 lakh and booked the two under IPC sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible mat­ter) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), and Section 9B of the Explosives Act and sections 74, 83 and 127 of the Explosive Rules.

In the second case, searches were held at two godowns that stored firecrackers illegally and dangerously near Mallathahalli under the Jnanabharathi station limits on October 31. Officials seized Rs 15 lakh worth of firecrackers from the two premises, owned by Srinivas.

Officials also found firecrackers purchased last year in the godown.

They booked Srinivas under IPC sections 285 and 336, Section 9B of the Explosives Act and sections 74, 83 and 127 of the Explosive Rules.