The Madhya Pradesh government has raised the reward money to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh on Rajendra Kasawa, the main accused in Petlawad blasts in Jhabua district, which left 89 people dead last month.
The decision to raise the reward was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday to review the progress made in the blast probe case, a Public Relation Department official said.
A total of 89 persons lost their lives and nearly hundred were injured in the September 12 blast that took place in a godown where explosives were stored in an illegal manner.
Since then, the whereabouts of Kasawa are not known.
The Chief Minister directed to increase the reward on Kaswa’s arrest. State Chief Secretary Antony DeSa and Director General of Police, Surendra Singh were specially present at the meeting.
The DGP informed that the police force has undertaken search operations in 17 places including Nepal to track down Kasawa.
Four search parties are presently looking out for the accused at new places. It was informed that DNA of Rajendra Kasawa has not matched with those killed in the incident and also with those whose bodies have not been identified so far.
Mr Chouhan said the drive to nab accused Rajendra Kasawa should be further intensified.
Kasawa had been booked under 304 (manslaughter) of IPC and other sections of Explosive Substance Act, after the blast which completely destroyed at least two buildings — the one in which the explosive material for digging wells was stored, and an adjacent restaurant — besides damaging several houses.
The explosion occurred in Kasawa’s building with the accused said to possess a licence for use of explosive material in the digging of wells.
According to police, he had stored the explosive material, including gelatin sticks in huge quantity, in the residential building which also housed two shops and was situated close to the busy Sethia Restaurant in the new bus stand area. - PTI
