Powder found inside Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha was not explosive, confirms forensic lab

Days after suspicious white powder was found inside Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, the Agra-based forensic lab said that it has found no traces of any explosive in the suspicious white powder, which was believed to be deadly Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN)

New Delhi: Days after suspicious white powder was found inside Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, an Agra-based forensic laboratory has said that it has found no traces of any explosive in the substance. Reports in leading channel said that the powder might not have been the deadly explosive PETN, as it was claimed earlier.

Earlier on Saturday, the sample of the white powder was picked up from the main hall of Vidhan Sabha and was sent to the laboratory but it could not be tested than as the staff had left. However on Monday, few experts conduct gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GS-MS) test on the substance in which it was proved that the white powder has no traces of PETN.

The Lucknow lab had earlier claimed that the powder recovered from the Vidhan Sabha was plastic explosive PETN. However, the test report from Hyderabad Forensic Lab is still awaited. 

A couple of days ago, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while speaking in Assembly had confirmed that the white powder found inside Vishan Sabha was an explosive, by the name of Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). He had also demanded National Investigative Agency (NIA) probe into the matter. "I suggest that everybody present in the Assembly should be investigated by the police and that the NIA should investigate into the matter," the CM had said.

On the other hand, the Uttar Pradsh Police had also arrested a youth named Farhan Ahmad in the case. He had threatened to blow up the Vidhan Sabha on August 15, 2017 by calling Additional Director General (ADG) AK Prasad on July 6, 2017.