Factory owner sent to 5-day police custody

The owner of the firecracker factory in Bawana, Manoj Jain, did not have a valid license for using the combustible and explosive substances, the police informed the court on Monday. Jain’s factory had caught fire on January 20 in which 17 people were killed.  

Following this, Metropolitan Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh sent Jain to five-day police custody stating that the “investigating agency deserves every lawful opportunity to investigate the matter fairly”.

The court’s order came after the Investigating Officer (IO) submitted that Jain in association with one Lalit Goyal was running the factory where firecrackers were being manufactured. 

The IO contended that during the investigation conducted till date, the accused had disclosed the name of Goyal and also stated that he used to procure the raw material, including combustible and explosive substances from Hathras (UP), among other places, adding that he did not have a valid license to use such material. 

Police sought five-day custody of the accused to verify whether he was running other such illegal enterprises, to recover the relevant record and gather further evidence in the case. However, this was opposed by Pradeep Rana, counsel for Jain, who submitted that his client is ready and willing to co-operate in the investigation in any manner that the police seeks his assistance. But keeping him in custody is not justified in any manner, he said. 

The court had earlier sent Jain to three days of police custody but the IO and advocate Rishipal Singh, counsel for one the blaze victims, submitted that on account of security arrangements for Republic Day, it would be difficult to produce the accused on January 27.  

Following this, the court allowed a five-day custody.