Recovery of ‘explosive’ in Lucknow Assembly, says NIA files closure report

The Hyderabad’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory had sent its report to the NIA in this regard last month. Vishal Srivastav

MAINTAINING THAT the “substance” recovered from under a seat in the state Assembly on July 12 was not an explosive but silicon oxide (quartz), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a closure report into the case of recovery of alleged PETN powder, at a Lucknow court.

NIA IG Alok Mittal said the closure report was filed on Saturday. “A closure report has been filed on the basis of the report of a Hyderabad-based laboratory, which has stated that the recovered powder was quartz,” he added. The Hyderabad’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory had sent its report to the NIA in this regard last month.
On July 14, CM Yogi Adityanath had informed the state Assembly that the Lucknow-based Forensic Science Laboratory has stated that the powder recovered from under a seat in the Opposition benches was explosive material PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate).

Following this, an FIR was lodged at Hazratganj police station against unidentified persons under sections 121-A ( punishment for waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the government of India) and 120 B (conspiracy) of the IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Act.

UP’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) was handed over the investigation, which sent the recovered powder to the Hyderabad-based lab for further tests. The report had declined the findings of the Lucknow lab. On July 26, the state government had recommended an NIA probe. On September 4, it had suspended the director of the Lucknow lab, Dr Shyam Bihari Upadhyay, for giving incorrect information about the tests.