KASARGOD: Kasaragod police seized 507 kg of explosives, mostly gun powder, from a godown of a cracker shop at Kidoor in Kumbla on Sunday, said district police chief Vaibhav Saxena.
The owner of the godown, Aboobeckar Siddique (41), had a license to stock only up to 15 kg of explosive, said the officer.
Saxena had got a tip-off that explosives were stored in the godown flouting norms. "We roped in a special team and within two hours we made the seizure," he said. Siddique had planned to shift the explosives to another location by Sunday evening, he said.
Siddique, however, told police that he bought the large quantity of gunpowder to supply to Kanipura Sri Gopalakrishna Temple at Kumbla. The temple's festival -- which started on January 14 and will end on January 17 -- is known for its blazing pyrotechnics.
However, in a meeting of the Covid-19 core committee on January 13, collector Bhandari Swagat Ranveerchand denied the temple permission for celebrations and fireworks and asked the committee to restrict the festival to religious rituals.
District police chief Saxena said the police were yet to confirm the end-use of the gunpowder. "Siddique will be booked for violating the Explosives Act. The court will decide the relevant sections," he said.
Caption: Kasaragod police pose with the explosives seized from a godown of a cracker shop in Kumbla near Kasaragod on Sunday