Crackers banned during Ganesha processions in Bengaluru Rural district following death of boy in firecracker accident

A day after the firecracker accident during the Ganesha procession, which killed a minor boy and injured nine others, Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Rural District A. B. Basavaraju has banned the use of crackers or any explosive substances during the installation and immersion procession, public gathering, or any religious or political functions in the district.

Meanwhile, Doddaballapura police on Saturday arrested four persons part of the organising committee of the pandal where the incident occurred, booking them for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and under Explosive Substances Act, 1908.

The accused were identified as Chandra Kumar, 45, Maruthi, 19, Kishore, 25, and Manjunath, 38,, C. K. Baba, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru district, said.

Fifteen-year-old Dhanush alias Muni was killed, and nine others, including two children and a police constable on duty, were injured on Friday in the accident. According to the police, the Ganesha idol was placed on the front portion of the forklift while a large crowd surrounding it moved through the Muttur village towards the immersion spot. The multi-shot cracker box was kept next to the silencer of the forklift, and it was suspected that sparks from the vehicle lit the crackers.

“It is not yet clear what triggered the cracker burst. It may be due to the heat or spark from the silencer, but it is under investigation. The entire box was lit, and crackers burst into the crowd. One rocket hit the ribs of Muni, killing him,” said a senior official.

Among the injured was Doddaballapura Town station police constable Zakir Hussain, who was part of the police team manning the crowd. He was near the forklift, directing the driver to move quickly when the cracker hit him. The others who sustained injuries but were out of danger were two children aged 13 and 16; Muniraju, 27, the forklift driver; and Nagaraj, 35, who had come out of his house to see what was happening, among others.