Two days after the powerful explosion inside the Balanga police station in Puri district, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the crime branch has asked the district police authorities to ensure the safe custody of explosive and highly inflammable substances at the Malkhana (storehouse) in the police stations.

“For the safety of the Police personnel posted at police Station and visiting public, it is imperative to take precautions and follow safety standards while keeping seized items such as explosive substances, corrosive and highly inflammable materials in the police station Malkhana or campuses”, the Additional Director General of Police, Crime Branch stated in an official letter to district SPs, and urban police authorities in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur and Rourkela.

Explosive materials, corrosive substances, highly inflammable materials should not be kept ordinarily in the Police Station Malkhana. In extreme cases, if it is necessary to keep those articles in the Malkhana, the same shall be done only after due examination by the bomb disposal squad or other specialized agencies with necessary precautions, the letter wrote.

Awaiting the examination, such seized materials should be kept outside Police Station Malkhana after taking necessary safety measures. In case it is not safe to keep such material at police station Malkhana, then the assistance of Bomb Disposal Squad and other specialized agencies be taken for diffusion or destruction of the same with due intimation to the jurisdictional court.

Superintendents of Police are instructed to entrust the sub-divisional police officers and Deputy Superintendents of Police to visit all the police station Malkhana of the district by 5 October and take steps for the safety of the Malkhana in the light of this order, the letter concluded.

The blast that occurred late last Monday night had triggered major damage to the Malkhana (storehouse of seized articles) building in the Balanga police station premises. The blast had blown off the roof and wall of the building. However no human casualty was reported. The building was ripped apart beyond redemption. An Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) in the charge of the police station was later suspended on dereliction of duty.