Andhra Explosives used in Blasts

By U. SUDHAKAR REDDY
Hyderabad, Aug. 27: A licensed dealer who bought a huge consignment of explosives from Amin Explosives Ltd at Nagpur has come under the scanner of the Special Investigation Team probing Saturday's twin explosions, which killed 41 people in Hyderabad.
Rajasree Explosives of Bhongir, about 50 km from here, had bought "Neo Gel 90", a slurry of ammonium nitrate, from the Nagpur firm. This is the same explosive material used in Saturday's bombings.
Contacted over the phone, Nagpur commissioner of police Satyapal Singh told this correspondent: "Two consignments of Neo Gel of around nine tonnes were sent to Rajasree Chemicals and Balaji Enterprises since July this year from Amin Explosives."
Investigations by this newspaper revealed the police had, prior to the blasts, written to the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (Peso) to cancel the licence of Rajasree Explosives, which had been booked in previous cases of violation of rules. No action has so far been taken.
Bhongir deputy superintendent of police V.V. Narasinga Rao said, "In the past one year we wrote to the district collector through superintendents of police thrice asking to cancel the licence of Rajasree Explosives as it was found violating rules. We were told that the collectorate wrote to Peso asking it to take action. So far no action has been taken."
He added, "When we inspected the book balance on explosive sales of Rajasree Explosives at Bhongir, we found that there was fudging of figures. They said they sold 1,500 kg of explosives out of 2,000 kg in stock, but they also said that 2,000 kg was still available."
"It was termed a clerical mistake.A case was registered at Bhongir police station. They got bail the same day after execution of arrest," Mr Narasinga Rao said.
Asked about the recommendation to cancel the firm's licence, Nalgonda district collector Purushottam Reddy said, "We received the communication from the police and wrote to Peso to cancel the licence. We withdrew the NOC a few months ago. As this issue has propped again, we will look into it and see that action is taken."
Peso deputy chief controller A.V. Subba Rao said, "We wrote to the central office at Nagpur to cancel the licence of Rajasree Explosives. The order has to come from Nagpur."
"The collector and the police department can cancel the no-objection certificate if the company is found violating rules," Mr Subba Rao said.
Another firm, owned by relatives of the proprietors of Rajasree Explosives in Karimnagar, had its licence withdrawn by the collector, Mr Subba Rao said.
Peso officials said that Balaji Enterprises at Karimnagar was owned by Rajasree Explosives.
The name of Rajasree Explosives had come up in two cases of seizure of 100 kg of slurry at Vanasthalipuram and Raidurg. But the company was found not at fault.
Vanasthalipuram police inspector Chandrashekar said, "We arrested one M. Ranga Reddy of Vanasthalipuram with explosives on June 29. Ranga Reddy was supposed to use the explosives at a construction site situated near Hitech City. Ranga Reddy had taken the explosives for a licensed user but was trying to sell them to quarries and crushing units. In the investigation we found that the transaction from Rajasree Explosives to the licensed user was legal."
In 2006, after an accident under the limits of Ramanatham police station limits in Tamil Nadu, the police found slurry and a safety fuse from a Tata Sumo.
While tracking the origin of the explosives a police team from Tamil Nadu visited Gautami Explosives Ltd, Saarajpet, in Aleru mandal near Bhongir. Gautami Explosives had sold the slurry to Rajasree Explosives at Bhongir. In turn, Rajasree Explosives had sold it to KE Stores of Calicut, Kerala. "The consignment was diverted from Kerala to Tamil Nadu," an official said.
Bhongir DSP Narsinga Rao said, "The Tamil Nadu police searched Gautami Explosives and found the records legal. So no action was taken."
Rajasree Explosives proprietor Raj Kumar said, "Balaji Enterprises, owned by my brother Vijay Kumar, bought the explosives from Amin. This took place before March. After March there has been no transaction. And Rajasree Explosives did not have any transaction with Amin this year. I don't know how the name of Rajasree Explosives came up."
Mr Raj Kumar said, "The consignment was three to four tonnes and we sold them in Karnataka, Orissa, and Anakapalle, near Visakhapatnam. All are legal transactions. We haven't sold explosives to illegal users."
"The police contacted us and we gave them details. I don't know from where the terrorists got the explosives, from Karnataka or Maharashtra," Mr Raj Kumar said, adding, "I can't divulge details of what the police asked me."
"The consignment also went to Chirag, Karnataka, as per our information. We are trying to find out from Amin Explosives why they mentioned our name. It can be an attempt to divert attention," he said.
Asked about the police asking that his licence be cancelled, Mr Raj Kumar said, "The police didn't consider the purchase bills but were going by the record and booked a case. We have taken up a legal battle. Since the (police) case was not proved, our licence was not cancelled. It is unfortunate that our name is figuring in these incidents," Mr Raj Kumar said. "In the Vanasthalipuram case, too, we are in no way concerned and we sold only to legal dealers," he added.
A Peso official said, "Slurry may have leaked from end users like quarries or crushing units. It could even be from irrigation contractors as well as the Singareni collieries. Usually the manufacture and licensed seller will not resort to illegal sales."
The responsibility of monitoring the sale of explosives to dealers, sub-dealers and end users, all of whom are required to have a licence and maintain detailed records, lies with the police, said a Peso employee.