Three held over cracker blast in which four died in Chennai

CHENNAI: The Avadi Police on Monday arrested three people in connection with the explosion that killed four men at Thandurai in Pattabiram on Sunday afternoon. The blast, allegedly triggered by firecrackers manufactured and stored illegally, caused a portion of the house to collapse, trapping the victims inside. Police identified the accused as A Vijayan (26), S Arumugam (50) and S Thomodharan (41). They were booked under provisions of the Explosives Act and remanded in judicial custody on Monday. The deceased Yasin (25), Sunil Prakash (23), Suman (24), and Sanjay (18) were reportedly friends of Vijayan and had visited his residence to buy crackers. Police said the explosion occurred moments after Vijayan stepped out to attend a phone call. Investigations revealed that Vijayan had been selling firecrackers from his residence in Pattabiram, sourcing them from a licensed shop in Guduvanchery and selling them for local celebrations such as weddings and temple festivals. Police suspect that Vijayan and his father Arumugam were also manufacturing and storing crackers illegally, converting part of their house into an unlicensed unit. Thomodharan, a relative, allegedly assisted in transporting the explosives. Police said a 35A notice has been issued to the licensed shop owner in Guduvanchery for selling crackers in loose, violating safety norms. The shop owner has been asked to submit an explanation, a senior police officer said.