HC grants bail to two accused in Dewas firecracker factory blast that killed 12 workers

The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted bail to two accused, Mukesh Vij and Anil Malviya, in the case of the blast at an illegal firecracker factory in Dewas. The accident killed 12 workers and seriously injured 19.

Justice Alok Awasthi allowed the appeals of both accused and set aside the lower court order that had rejected their bail applications. Both had been in jail since May 17, 2026.

The High Court said that a person being merely the owner, financier, manager or partner of a factory is not, by itself, enough to fix criminal liability. According to the court, the prosecution will have to prove the separate role of each accused and show what criminal act he committed in the alleged offence.

The case dates to May 14, 2026, when the blast occurred at an illegal firecracker factory in Dewas district. The investigation had found that the factory lacked adequate fire safety arrangements. The conditions of the required NOC and licence were also not being followed. In addition, explosive material in excess of the permitted limit had been stored.

According to the allegation, Mukesh Vij was the factory's financial controller and a partner, while Anil Malviya was responsible for operations.

During the hearing, the state argued that the accused's financial dealings and their roles in the factory showed their knowledge and common intention. The accused argued that no specific criminal act by either of them in causing anyone's death had emerged. They also said the chargesheet had been filed, so there was no reason left to keep them in custody.

The High Court called the accident serious and tragic. It said it could have been avoided had safety norms been followed. It added, however, that keeping a person in custody for long merely on the basis of the gravity of the allegations is not appropriate. The court made clear that bail does not mean permission to resume making or storing firecrackers.