AHMEDABAD: The death of 21 workers from Harda, Madhya Pradesh, in a powerful blast at an illegal godown-cum-factory in Deesa GIDC, north Gujarat, has raised serious concerns. Was it mere misfortune, or does it point to a deeper nexus between the operators of the Harda firecracker factory—where a similar explosion killed 13 workers and injured 200 in December 2024—and the Deesa unit, which allegedly continued illegal manufacturing at the cost of innocent lives for profit?
Speculation is mounting over whether operations from the now-defunct Harda factory, which suffered a devastating fire last year, were relocated to Deesa in Gujarat. All 21 workers who perished in the Deesa blast, including eight children, had arrived from Harda just two days prior, on Sunday.
Questions are being raised about whether Rajesh Agarwal, linked to the ill-fated Harda firecracker factory, collaborated with Deepak Traders proprietors—Deepak and Khoobchand Mohanani—who had been running illegal operations undetected for 18 years and possibly expanded their scale.
‘No idea how licence was procured’
Vipul Barot, the Deesa mamlatdar and complainant in the case, revealed that Deepak Traders had been engaged in firecracker manufacturing and sales for 18 years, yet there is no clarity on “how and when” they obtained and renewed their licence.
Meanwhile, Congress has alleged that Rajesh Agarwal visited Gujarat just days before his bail expires on April 14. Seva Dal president Lalji Desai stated, “Rajesh Agarwal is out on bail for the past five and a half months. People in Deesa believe Agarwal started the unit here in partnership, as the one in Harda closed after the accident where 13 people died.”
He further alleged, “There is information that Rajesh Agarwal has ties to the son of a top politician in Gujarat. How did the explosive substances arrive at the unit when it had no licence? The connection between the Harda and the Deesa units must be investigated.”
FIR Findings
According to the FIR: Factory owners Khoobchand Mohanani and his son Deepak strictly instructed workers to keep the shutters closed at all times to evade detection of their illegal operations. This effectively turned the unit into a suffocating death trap, leaving no escape in case of a fire.
The FIR reveals: The father-son duo displayed brazen negligence by failing to install firefighting equipment despite storing large quantities of firecrackers and highly inflammable raw materials.
Forensic findings: The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) confirmed that aluminium powder, a key ingredient in firecrackers, triggered the massive explosion and fire.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the Dewas victims have been brought to Indore’s MY Hospital.