Kaushambi , A wanted accused in the August 31 illegal firecracker factory blast in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district was arrested after an encounter with police here early Thursday, police said.
“When the police tried to surround him, Adil turned his motorcycle around and attempted to flee. When asked to surrender, he opened fire at the police team. Police claimed to have recovered a country-made pistol, one live cartridge, three empty cartridges and a motorcycle from his possession.
Police had registered a case against six accused, including three women, under sections 105 and 288 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 4, 5 and 9-B of the Explosives Act in connection with the blast that left 14 dead. The main accused, Naushad, was arrested following a police encounter on September 1, while two women accused, Shabana and Saina, have also been arrested and sent to jail, police said. On the intervening night of September 2 and 3, a Pipri police team learnt that Adil was approaching the canal bridge on the Kamalpur-Barethi road on a motorcycle, he said.
Singh said four police teams had been formed to arrest the three absconding accused and were conducting raids at possible locations. In retaliatory firing in self-defence, he was shot in both legs and arrested,” Singh said. During interrogation, Adil told police that he and his associates were involved in manufacturing and storing illegal firecrackers and explosive material for financial gain at a warehouse near the Mahmudpur-Manori power house.
