Sundargarh: In a major breakthrough in the ongoing probe into the Maoist looting of explosives in Sundargarh district, police today arrested Shravan Agrawal, the owner of the warehouse from which the explosives were taken, for allegedly violating the SOPs of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).

Agrawal was arrested after several rounds of interrogation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which had earlier detained him at Raghunathpali police station in Rourkela. His warehouse in Badgaon was sealed by the police last week, following the May 27 incident that triggered concern over explosive security and potential misuse.

Authorities have also detained the driver of the truck that was intercepted and looted by Maoists, as part of the widening investigation.

Police sources said that three trucks had left the warehouse on May 27, the day of the loot. While one was looted by Maoists, Agrawal allegedly misled investigators by claiming that the other two trucks had already completed delivery. However, on Sunday, police recovered two mini-trucks loaded with explosive packets from the Balughat area in Rourkela, raising suspicions of a larger illegal trade.

Investigators now believe that the two trucks may have been deliberately kept hidden, possibly to sell the explosives to stone quarries and mining operations at a higher price. Initial investigation suggests that Shravan Agrawal was involved in the illegal supply of explosives for financial gain.

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