Gujarat Police seize ₹2.68 lakh firecrackers from unlicensed Dhansura shops ahead of Diwali
Synopsis
Gujarat's Aravalli SOG raided two Dhansura firecracker shops just before Diwali, seizing 2,454 boxes worth ₹2.68 lakh — with no valid licences and electrical wiring that police say was a fire waiting to happen. Both owners now face charges under a law that dates back to 1884.
Key Takeaways
Aravalli district SOG seized 2,454 boxes of firecrackers worth ₹2,68,238 from two shops in Dhansura, Gujarat on 25 October 2026 .
Mahadev Traders (owner Sanjaykumar Thakkar ) had 1,116 boxes worth ₹98,076 without a valid licence.
Sai Baba Seasonal Firecracker Shop (owner Vinodkumar Khatri ) had 1,338 boxes worth ₹1,70,162 without a licence.
Both premises had electrical wiring in plastic pipes outside walls — flagged by police as a short-circuit and fire hazard.
Cases registered under Section 9(B)(1)(b) of the Explosives Act, 1884 ; legal proceedings initiated against both owners.
The raid was part of a pre- Diwali compliance drive ordered by senior Aravalli district police officials.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Aravalli district police in Gujarat seized 2,454 boxes of firecrackers worth ₹2,68,238 from two shops in Dhansura on 25 October 2026, after inspections revealed the premises were stocking explosive materials without the required licences ahead of Diwali. Cases have been registered against both shop owners under the Explosives Act, 1884.
What the Inspections Found
The operation was carried out under the supervision of P B Chaudhary, police inspector with the Aravalli-Modasa SOG, on the instructions of senior officials who had directed teams to act against illegal sale of explosive materials during the festive period.
At Mahadev Traders, owned by Sanjaykumar Thakkar — a resident of Jhulelal Society, Madhi Ashram Road, Vijapur taluka, Mehsana district — officers found 1,116 boxes of assorted firecrackers valued at ₹98,076, allegedly stocked without a valid licence.
At Sai Baba Seasonal Firecracker Shop, owned by Vinodkumar Khatri of Akshardham Society, Dhansura, Aravalli district, the team found 1,338 boxes worth ₹1,70,162. Together, the two seizures totalled ₹2,68,238.
Safety Violations at Both Premises
Beyond the licensing lapses, inspectors flagged serious fire-safety violations at both locations. According to police, electrical wiring at both shops had been routed through plastic pipes mounted outside the walls rather than embedded within them — an arrangement that, police said, posed a significant risk of short circuits and fire.
Officers noted that the shop owners had failed to make adequate provisions to protect customers and passersby from the potential hazard of fire and injury while storing explosive materials on the premises.
Legal Action
Both Thakkar and Khatri have been booked under Section 9(B)(1)(b) of the Explosives Act, 1884, and legal proceedings have been initiated against them. The firecrackers seized from both shops remain in police custody.
Broader Context
The crackdown is part of a wider pre-Diwali compliance drive ordered by senior Aravalli district police officials to ensure that explosive materials are stored and sold only by licensed vendors with adequate safety infrastructure in place. This comes amid a recurring pattern of pre-festival enforcement actions across Gujarat, where unregulated firecracker storage has previously been linked to accidental fires and casualties. Authorities are expected to continue similar inspections at other locations in the district in the run-up to Diwali.
Point of View
But the details here point to a structural problem: shops openly operating without licences, with unsafe wiring, just days before Diwali. The Explosives Act invoked dates to 1884 — a colonial-era statute that has seen only limited modernisation. What the crackdown does not address is why licensing compliance in the firecracker trade remains so porous year after year. Deterrence requires follow-through beyond the FIR stage, and until conviction rates in such cases are tracked and published, pre-festival seizures risk becoming ritual theatre rather than genuine enforcement.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gujarat Police seize in the Dhansura firecracker raid?
Gujarat's Aravalli SOG seized 2,454 boxes of firecrackers worth ₹2,68,238 from two shops in Dhansura on 25 October 2026. Both shops were found to be stocking explosive materials without the required licences ahead of Diwali.
Who are the shop owners booked in the Aravalli firecracker case?
The two owners booked are Sanjaykumar Thakkar of Mahadev Traders and Vinodkumar Khatri of Sai Baba Seasonal Firecracker Shop. Both have been charged under Section 9(B)(1)(b) of the Explosives Act, 1884.
What safety violations were found at the raided shops?
Police found that electrical wiring at both premises had been laid through plastic pipes on the outside of walls rather than within them. Officers stated this posed a risk of short circuits and fire, especially given the presence of explosive materials on site.
Under which law were the shop owners charged?
Both owners were charged under Section 9(B)(1)(b) of the Explosives Act, 1884, which covers unlicensed possession or storage of explosive materials. Legal proceedings have been initiated against both.
Why was this pre-Diwali raid carried out?
Senior Aravalli district police officials had directed SOG teams to inspect firecracker shops for licensing compliance and fire-safety standards ahead of Diwali. The drive is part of a broader effort to prevent accidents linked to unregulated storage and sale of explosive materials during the festive season.
