Cowshed used as cover for illegal firecracker factory in Indore:Farmhouse raid recovers 100 kg gunpowder, administration razed godown, accused arrested

In a major operation aimed at safeguarding public safety, the Indore district administration on Wednesday launched a coordinated crackdown against illegal manufacture, storage and sale of fireworks across multiple locations in the district. The joint team of revenue and police seized large quantities of explosives and firecrackers, sealed units, demolished illegal structures and arrested those involved. 100 kg gunpowder seized in Hatod The biggest action was carried out in Hatod tehsil, where officials recovered nearly 100 kilograms of illegally stored gunpowder from a farmhouse being used as a covert firecracker manufacturing unit. The illegal godown and a shed spread over nearly 10,000 square feet were demolished on the spot, and the electricity connection was disconnected. According to the administrative officials, the unit was operating without any licence and had been manufacturing sutli bombs for the past 15 days. Factory disguised as cowshed The operators attempted to evade scrutiny by disguising the unit as a farmhouse. A cowshed was constructed and eight cows were kept to create the impression of routine agricultural activity, while illegal firecracker production continued inside the shed. Accused arrested, vehicles seized An FIR has been registered against Rahul Agrawal, the alleged operator of the unit, who had taken the agricultural land on lease in March 2025. Three workers, Vijay Singh, Sagar Prajapat and Ranjeet Singh Thakur, were taken into custody from the site. Two vehicles were seized, both found loaded with finished sutli bombs and raw material. Multiple raids across Indore Simultaneously, raid operations were conducted at several other locations in Indore, leading to the seizure of explosives and illegal firecrackers. Several factories, godowns and shops were sealed, and unauthorised constructions were demolished. Arrests were also made in related cases. Sana Fire Works unit sealed In a separate action, the administration sealed Sana Fire Works, a cracker manufacturing unit in Rajdhara village, Bicholi Hapsi, following a surprise inspection. The team, led by SDM Ajay Bhushan Shukla, found serious violations of safety norms, including sutli bombs being dried openly in unsafe conditions, posing a high risk of explosion. The entire unit was sealed and panchnama proceedings were completed. No compromise with the public safety Collector Shivam Verma said that the manufacture, storage and sale of firecrackers without valid licences is strictly prohibited, especially in view of public safety. Any illegal or unsafe activity involving explosives will not be tolerated. Strict action has been taken in these cases, and similar enforcement drives will continue across the district to prevent accidents and protect lives, he said.