Fazilka (Pb): Firecrackers worth over Rs 5 lakh, which were allegedly stored illegally, were seized from the residence of a grocery shop owner in the Gandhi Nagar area here, the police claimed today.   

Acting on tip off, police raided the house of Ajay Kumar last night and seized firecrackers that were illegally stored for sale, a senior official said.   "We found firecrackers in huge quantity stored illegally in the house," Fazilka DSP Narinder Singh said today. The market value of the firecrackers runs upto Rs 5 to Rs 6 lakh, DSP Singh claimed.   

The firecrackers were kept in a room where usually 'ghee' and sugar were stored, he said. "Ajay failed to produce the license for storing fire crackers. It is illegal to store firecrackers without the mandatory license," Singh said.   

Firecrackers can only be stored at a designated place with the permission of the concerned authorities, he added. Police have booked the accused under relevant sections including 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC and the Explosives Act, the official said. PTI