MP firecracker unit blast: Factory owner Mukesh Vij arrested after returning from China

INDORE: Dewas police on Thursday arrested the main accused and alleged owner behind the Tonk Kalan firecracker factory blast that claimed six lives earlier this month.The accused, Mukesh Vij, was taken into custody from New Delhi airport moments after he landed from Guangzhou in China. One other was also arrested.Dewas SP Puneet Gehlod said Mukesh Vij had been absconding since the explosion at the illegal firecracker unit in Tonk Kolan area of Dewas district, where a massive blast ripped through the factory, killing six workers and leaving several others injured. Investigators consider him one of the key persons responsible for the operations of the factory where the fatal explosion took place.Acting on a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him, a special Dewas police team stationed at the airport intercepted Vij after his arrival on Thursday morning. Another absconding accused, Mahesh Chauhan of Uttarakhand, was also arrested from Delhi during the ongoing investigation.The arrests are part of an intensified crackdown launched under the supervision of Dewas SP Puneet Gehlod, who constituted a 13-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, trace the absconding accused and collect technical and scientific evidence. Police had also announced a reward of Rs 10,000 each on the absconding accused.A day after the blast, police had arrested factory licence holder Anil Malviya and main contractor Mohammad Ayaz. Two days ago, factory co-operator Kapil Vij was also arrested from Delhi.Police teams have been conducting continuous raids in Delhi and other states to track those linked to the factory’s ownership, management and procurement network. Senior officers said the investigation is examining all aspects of the firecracker unit, including licensing violations, storage of explosive material and operational lapses that led to the deadly blast.