The Pal police have booked seven individuals for illegally storing explosive and flammable chemicals at a restaurant on the Bhesan-Hazira highway in Surat.
The action followed a raid conducted on December 14 by Zone-7 Local Crime Branch (LCB) and Ichhapore police. An FIR was registered on January 4, after a forensic report confirmed the presence of four types of inflammable and dangerous chemicals at the premises.
The chemicals identified included:
Methyl methacrylate
Toluene
2-ethyl-1-hexanol
Automotive diesel of a certain specification
Investigators said the raid was prompted by information that the accused were stealing chemicals from trucks and storing them illegally at the dhaba. During the probe, police found that the chemicals were being sold after adding profit, making it a commercial operation.
The accused have been identified as:
Ladulal Khatik
Om Prakash Rao
Sureshchandra Khatik
Vikas Bhand
Bharat alias Michal Bharwad
Bharat Bharwad
Danabhai Bharwad
Police are continuing the investigation to trace sources of the stolen chemicals and any potential buyers, as well as possible safety violations and hazards associated with storing such substances illegally.
