Post News Network
Rourkela, Feb 2: At least two persons – a businessman and his assistant – were killed in a blast at the man’s house in the Steel City Monday and explosives seized from the spot.
Deputy superintendent of police Tusharkant Jena said the businessman’s stockroom in his residence at Bisra Road was blown off and its tin roof completely damaged under the impact of the blast.
The explosion happened at 11 am Monday. It was initially suspected that an explosion of an LPG cylinder was behind the incident but later police seized 570 gelatin sticks and 375 detonators from the spot, he said.
The dead were identified as Ghamanlal Agarwal (42), who is the owner of a bakery and his assistant (police refused to disclose his identity), Jena said.
“We have to verify that from where Agarwal procured the explosives and why was he keeping them there. He was not authorised to store the explosives and whatever we found were all illegal,” Jena said.
The police are ascertaining what Agarwal was doing with the explosives when he ran only a bakery, he added.
From the huge stockpile of explosives recovered from the site, police believe Ghamanlal and his associate were involved in criminal activities and planning to commit an offensive.
Brahmani Tarang police January 27, 2013 had arrested Ghamanlal from his Gotidhar-based residence under Lathikata block as gelatin sticks and detonators had been recovered from his house. A case (17/2013) had been registered against him. He was released on bail after which he went on accumulating gelatins and detonators in his Birsa Dahar road house.
The police said they are on the lookout to find if other people were involved in the incident.
