The alleged operator of an illegal firecracker factory in Ahmedabad's Ramol area, Mehul Dodia, has been arrested by the Crime Branch after a blast at the unit killed nine people — including three children — and injured six others on Saturday, 19 July. The explosion, which occurred at an unlicensed manufacturing unit on Ramol-Gatrad Road, was severe enough to shatter windows at neighbouring factories and hampered identification of some victims.

Key Arrests and Charges

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut confirmed at a press conference on Sunday that Dodia was tracked down and arrested from the Sabarmati area after he fled the blast site despite sustaining injuries. Two others have also been taken into custody: his mother, Ramila Dodia, who managed the factory and suffered ruptured eardrums in the blast, and alleged business partner Sadiq Saiyed.

An FIR has been registered at Ramol Police Station against all three accused under Sections 105, 287, 288 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 5(a) and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and Section 9(b) of the Explosives Act, 1884. Police said additional accused could be named as the investigation progresses.

A Factory That Should Never Have Operated

According to Commissioner Gahlaut, the factory's licence had expired on 4 March and was not renewed. Despite this, the unit reportedly resumed operations 20 to 25 days before the blast to fulfil firecracker orders for the upcoming Ganesh festival. Labourers were brought in specifically from Dahod district for the work.

Forensic experts and explosives specialists who examined the site found what Gahlaut described as 'total violations.' Even under a valid licence, the unit would have been permitted to store only 15 kg of explosives — but investigators found multiple sacks containing far in excess of that limit. 'The factory had no permission whatsoever to operate, yet it was functioning,' the Commissioner said.

Preliminary findings suggest sparks during the filling process inside one of the two or three small structures at the site triggered the explosion. The exact sequence of events is expected to be established after further questioning of Mehul Dodia.

A Damning Pattern: The 2014 Blast Connection

This is not the first fatal incident at this location. A blast at the same site in 2014 killed a 14-year-old, at which time the factory was operated by Ramila Dodia. Her licence was cancelled following that incident. Investigators allege she subsequently obtained a fresh licence in her son Mehul's name and restarted operations — a pattern that raises serious questions about regulatory oversight and licence verification processes.

Notably, a separate firecracker unit linked to co-accused Sadiq Saiyed had also recently witnessed a blast in Kheda district, though no fatalities were reported in that incident.

Investigation Scope and Crackdown

Police are probing the full supply chain behind the factory's operations, including the role of the landowner in Vastral, financiers, and customers who placed orders. Some buyers had reportedly paid advances of ₹50,000, while others had paid approximately ₹1 lakh. Investigators are examining whether these customers were aware the unit was operating without legal sanction.

Following the blast, joint inspection teams from the Ahmedabad Police, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and the Fire Department launched city-wide checks. Two firecracker units in Gyaspur and Narol were sealed on Saturday night, and the Commissioner said inspections would continue across Ahmedabad and adjoining rural areas.

'We will compile all the evidence, file the charge sheet at the earliest, and ensure that the accused do not escape this time and that the case is taken up for trial as soon as possible,' Commissioner Gahlaut said, signalling the administration's intent to pursue the case through conviction.