Illegal firecrackers weighing 3,500 kg seized in Delhi’s Rajouri Garden; three arrested

Delhi Police has seized over 3,500 kg of illegal firecrackers from a house in west Delhi’s Rajouri Garden and arrested three members of a family for allegedly stocking and repackaging them for sale ahead of the festive season, officials said on Saturday.

The seizure, weighing 3,580.4 kg, was made during a raid at a residential premises in Vishal Enclave on September 25, police said.

The accused have been identified as Sushil Kakkar (53), his wife Upasana (50), and their son Shivam (28).

According to police, the family, which runs a shop selling eatables in Moti Nagar, allegedly turned their house into a makeshift godown, storing crackers in almost every corner, including the kitchen.

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“The accused were caught red-handed while repackaging a consignment into smaller packets for sale. The family procured the firecrackers in bulk from Meerut, Gurugram and Ghaziabad. They were planning to sell them in Delhi for huge profits, in violation of the Supreme Court’s ban on firecrackers,” a police officer said.

By using their residence as a storage hub and stacking firecrackers in every room, the accused turned their house into a fire hazard for the entire neighbourhood, and the recovery averted a potential tragedy in a densely-populated area, the officer said.

The crackers were packed in small consignments, suggesting that the family was already in the process of distributing them in the market, police said.

Police suspect the family had links with wholesale suppliers in neighbouring states, and a probe is on to uncover the entire network, the officer said.