Blast at FSL: Chemicals were brought from Raichur

The highly flammable chemicals that burst into flames at the forensic science laboratory (FSL) here on Friday had been brought from Raichur, where they were used to make plastic decorations, police said.

Anantamma, a 40-year-old ragpicker, had died and her husband Lakshman (45) and son Ramu (7) were wounded in a mysterious blast at a waste pile near Yeramarus Camp, about 11 km from Raichur town, around 5.30 pm on October 5, 2018. The Raichur rural police launched an investigation by registering a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and under provisions of the Explosive Substances Act.

The next day, forensic experts from Kalaburagi collected 62 different samples from the explosion site and sent them to the FSL, Bengaluru, on October 10, 2018.

The police arrested Arun Joshi (35) and Dhirendra Joshi (51), the proprietors of Gajanana Decorative, a company that made plastic decorations.

The Joshis had brought the chemicals from Hyderabad and were using them to melt plastic to make decorative items.

They later threw plastic containers of the chemicals out of the factory.

Raichur Superintendent of Police C B Vedamurthy said Anantamma opened one of the containers while picking up waste, triggering the blast.

The police later seized all the chemicals from a warehouse belonging to the Joshis.