WB guv demands thorough probe into Naihati explosion

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday demanded a thorough investigation into the massive explosion of alleged firecrackers at Naihati when police tried to diffuse them.

Dhankhar said another explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit at Naihati's Devak area a week ago, which had claimed four lives, was a "big threat to the peace situation" in the state.

The investigation should find out who benefitted financially by running the illegal firecracker manufacturing units and unmask those responsible for running them, he said.

"It's (explosions) a big threat to the peace situation in West Bengal. We must have a thorough investigation into the explosions. We must go to the bottom of the matter to find out who all are being financially benefited by these (illegal fireworks units)," Dhankhar said on the sidelines of a programme held here.

"We also need to find out under whose custody all these people (at the illegal firecracker manufacturing unit) were working. We must unmask all those irrespective of their political, administrative and social identity ... Only then peace will be reinstated in the society," he added.

The explosion took place on Thursday when police tried to defuse a huge quantity of seized firecrackers. It had rocked Naihati's Ramghat area and damaged several houses there and also at Chinsurah in Hooghly district on the otherside of the Ganga.

Three residents of Naihati Ramghat area were injured in Thursday's explosion.

On the explosion at Devak area, he said "It was told that these firecracker units had no licence. How come anything run without any licence?
"In such cases, two are equally responsible. One who was running these illegal units and also the casual approach of those who were responsible to grant licence to them. We must know the reason of the laxity of the administration ... So many innocent people have been killed in the explosion."