Man booked in east Delhi for bursting old firecrackers

A 30-year-old man was booked for allegedly bursting firecrackers in east Delhi despite a Supreme Court ban on selling and burning of old stock, the first such case to be registered since the restrictions were enforced.

Police were informed on November 1 by a neighbour of accused Damandeep that the latter was bursting old firecrackers, they added.

The neighbour told police that despite repeated requests, Damandeep did not pay heed and continued bursting the crackers and even challenged them, a senior police officer said.

Police officers collected the burnt firecrackers and carried out a forensic analysis which revealed that they were old, following which Damandeep was booked under section 188 of the IPC, he added.

He was bursting so-called "Bijli bombs" and said that he bought those last year, the officer said, adding that police were investigating how he had managed to buy the crackers despite a Supreme Court ban on their sale.

Damandeep is from Bihar and stays in Mayur Vihar Phase 3 here. He works at a private firm, police said.

The apex court had on October 31 ruled that firecrackers other than green crackers will not be sold in the Delhi-NCR region during the festival season.

It added that those crackers which have already been produced and they do not fulfil the permissible conditions "will not be allowed to be sold in Delhi and NCR".