Pingla blast injured testifies before judge, OC suspended

Midnapore: One of the four injured in the Pingla firecracker unit blast, which claimed 12 lives, testified before a judicial magistrate today even as the officer-in-charge of the police station was put under suspension for alleged inaction.

The injured, Sk Mustaq, was taken to the court of Third Judicial Magistrate Md Moidul from Medinipur Medical College and Hospital and testified before the judge.

He was then taken back to hospital and then discharged as his condition was stated to be medically fit by attending doctors, a top district police officer said.

The other three injured were still under treatment, the officer said.

Meanwhile, officer-in-charge of the police station Pankaj Mistri has been suspended for alleged delay in action after news of the fire broke out and not allegedly acting upon the complaints by villagers about the illegal fireworks unit in the area in past, the district police officer said.

He said the OC was suspended yesterday.

SP Bharati Ghosh yesterday told PTI, "With such a big incident having taken place some disciplinary action will surely be taken against the OC," but refused to confirm whether he will be suspended.

A powerful explosion in a house packed with explosives had killed 12 people ? several of them in their teens ? and injured four at Pingla in West Midnapore on Wednesday night.