Over 90 people were killed in a powerful explosion in Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh (Press Trust of India photo)
The police in Madhya Pradesh have found 69 detonators from a godown in searches after the deadly explosion that killed over 90 people at a restaurant in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. The godown belongs to the brother of the main accused, Rajendra Kasawa, who is missing.
Rajendra Kasawa had allegedly stocked explosives - nearly 100 gelatine sticks - for his mining business at a shop next to a restaurant, which triggered a series of blasts in Petlawad town in Jhabua district.
The explosion took place at around 9 am. Many of those who died had come for breakfast at the restaurant.
Kasawa reportedly had the license to use the explosives but had stored them at his shop illegally. After the explosion, he and his family allegedly ran away. The police, which had sealed the house and godowns of the Kasawa family, recovered the new stockpile of detonators from the godown of Rajendra Kasawa's brother, Narendra, on Sunday evening.
"We recovered 69 detonators kept in a packet from the godown at back of a garage," said police officer Virendra Singh Base.
The state government has announced a reward of Rs one lakh on any information leading to Rajendra Kasawa's arrest.
The National Investigation Agency, which looks into terror cases, also came to the blast site.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan faced angry protesters who blocked his convoy when he was on his way to the blast site. Mr Chouhan was able to proceed to the site only after he assured locals of strong action against the accused.
"The guilty will not be spared," the Chief Minister said. He also increased the compensation to Rs 5 lakh from the Rs. 2 lakh that he had earlier announced for the families of those killed.
Locals claim they had lodged a complaint against Rajendra Kasawa almost a year ago, but no action was taken against him. "Last year I had complained to the Collector about Kasawa storing explosives in this area but no one did anything," said Channu Lal, his neighbour.
The high-intensity blast completely destroyed Mr Kasawa's shop and the two-storey building that housed the restaurant. Several adjacent buildings also suffered damages. Officials had earlier said that a cylinder blast had caused the explosion.