Gujarat High Court slams asst govt pleader over ‘casual approach’ in Deesa blast PIL

A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agrawal and Justice D N Ray of Gujarat High Court directed the owners of Deepak Traders – that owns the warehouse – to be impleaded as respondents in the ongoing public interest litigation (PIL) related to a blast in Deesa in Banaskantha on April 1.

The court also ordered the Director of Industrial Safety and Health to remain answerable as to how the unit was allowed to operate in Deesa despite glaring violations. The bench expressed strong displeasure at the assistant government pleader for appearing without instructions. “This is a PIL transferred from the Supreme Court and you are adopting a casual approach,” Chief Justice Agrawal remarked, adding, “Why didn’t you take instructions? How can you appear without instructions? This is really unfortunate.” 

The court has sought detailed replies from the Director of Industrial Safety and Health, the Director of Fire Prevention Services, and other competent state officers on the lapses.

Petitioner’s advocate highlighted shocking findings from police inspections and investigations:

• On February 28, 2025, Deesa police officer V J Prajapati inspected the warehouse and submitted a negative report citing major violations, including absence of a valid Fire NOC, no approval from Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Ltd, lack of fire extinguishers, and discrepancies in licence documents.
• Despite the negative report, no follow-up action was taken, allowing unchecked manufacturing and storage of firecrackers.
• The unit’s fire licence had expired and was never renewed by the authorities.
• On March 29, 2025 – just three days before the blast – labourers were brought to the warehouse and instructed by contractor Pankaj (who later died in the tragedy) to keep the shutters down at all times to avoid detection.
• A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Banaskantha Range Inspector was formed on April 1, 2025.
• Within 12 hours, the state government constituted a high-level committee on April 2, 2025 comprising an IAS officer, a Forensic Science Laboratory officer, and an engineer to investigate the cause and regulatory failures.

The advocate demanded strict action against officers who permitted manufacturing and storage despite the expired licence, and stressed the need for adequate punishment. Two probe teams were constituted after the tragedy:

An FIR has been registered against warehouse owners Khumchand Mohnani and his son Deepak Mohnani under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and provisions of the Explosives Act, 1884.

As many as 27 workers were inside the warehouse when fire broke out. Can ollapsing walls and successive explosions prevented their escape. Many victims were migrant labourers, including women and children.

The petitioner also drew the court’s attention to a similar incident on April 20, 2023 in Aravalli district where four workers were charred to death in a firecracker factory blaze, underscoring a pattern of regulatory failure. The court has kept the matter for further hearing and directed all concerned authorities to file detailed affidavits explaining the lapses.

An explosion at an illegal firecracker warehouse in Deesa, Banaskantha district, on April 1, 2025, which claimed 21 lives, including seven children.