The state government has suspended the sub-divisional magistrate, naib tehsildar and sub-divisional officer of police in connection with an explosion at a firecracker factory in the Tonk Kalan area of Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas on Thursday that killed at least five workers and injured several others.
Following the incident, authorities sealed the premises and detained factory owner Anil Malviya to investigate the legality of the operations.
Collector Rituraj Singh said the factory had begun producing small firecrackers only 15 days earlier under a newly issued licence. “Preliminary findings suggest the explosion occurred while gunpowder was being manufactured by mixing two chemicals,” he added.
The home department said in an order that Sonkacch sub-divisional officer (police) Deepa Mande has been suspended based on a report from the divisional commissioner of Ujjain and a recommendation from the director general of police.
The order said that the officer failed to conduct inspections of the factory’s operations as required by government directives and did not submit necessary reports to senior authorities. “The government has deemed this conduct to constitute gross negligence and apathy towards duty,” the order added.
Divisional commissioner Ashish Singh also suspended Tonkhurd Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sanjeev Saxena and Naib Tehsildar Ravi Sharma with immediate effect. “Administrative inspections and oversight regarding explosive materials were not conducted in adherence to prescribed standards. Serious negligence was found in this matter,” Singh said.
Action against all three officials was initiated under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965, and the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1966.
Meanwhile, police have arrested four people, including Malviya. However, government records show that Malviya’s father is a labourer and that Malviya himself held a Below Poverty Line (BPL) card, which was cancelled after the factory began operations in December 2025.
Indian National Congress spokesperson KK Mishra alleged, “Anil Malviya is a Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holder and his father a labourer in government records. He was seen many times with local Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. It should be probed who was patronising him.”
BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai responded, “We are very sensitive towards the matter. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has already announced a judicial probe. No one will be spared.”
