Published on: Sept 10, 2025 06:58 am IST
Police said the four men were part of a group that was illegally manufacturing and storing explosives in the residential areas of Behta.
Police on Tuesday arrested four men in connection with the August 31 explosion at an illegal fireworks factory in Behta near here. The incident left four people dead and several others injured. Each of them was carrying a cash reward of ₹25,000.
(Sourced)
Police said the four men were part of a group that was illegally manufacturing and storing explosives in the residential areas of Behta.
“The arrested men were identified as Shanu alias Shoaib, 24; Mohammad Waris alias Sheru, 40; Ali Akbar, 47 and Mohammad Afzal, 26. All of them hail from Behta and were caught near Maurya Bhatta during a raid,” said Gudamba station house officer Prabhatesh Srivastava. Earlier, three co-accused, Tinu alias Ali Ahmed, Mohammad Naseem and Mohammad Yakub alias Ghaplu, were arrested and sent to judicial custody. Police said they had been operating an illegal fireworks unit in Behta, where explosives were manufactured and stored in violation of the Explosives Act.
The explosion on August 31 ripped through the house where the illegal unit was functioning. Rescue teams pulled out seven people from the debris, but four of them succumbed to injuries. The site was combed by bomb disposal and dog squad teams, and large quantities of explosive material were recovered and neutralised. Two more explosions were reported in the area over the next couple of days. No injuries were reported due to them.
Two FIRs were lodged under the Explosive Substances Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in the case. “The accused were storing explosives for financial gain without following safety norms. Their negligence caused the explosion that killed four people,” a senior officer said.
News / Cities / Lucknow / Behta explosion: Four more arrested for illegally making, storing explosives
See Less