It is a case of whodunnit which the Special Task Force (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh is now trying to unravel while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is yet to join the probe.

The mystery of the white powder, which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said was pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), deepened after media reports quoted the Agra Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) as saying that the substance was not the deadly explosive as was claimed earlier.

The government was quick to deny that the powder was even sent to the laboratory in Agra, which, according to the state’s Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar, was not equipped to carry out infrared spectrum and gas chromatography tests. These tests were being carried out by the forensic laboratory at Lucknow, whose initial findings confirmed the powder to be PETN. The confirmatory test result would be available by Thursday (20 July), Kumar said.

But contrary to Kumar’s assertion, the laboratory in Agra is the best in the state for testing explosives.

The problem with the Chief Minister going to town with the preliminary findings of the Lucknow laboratory was that it would be untenable in a court of law. The opposition charged that instead of creating panic, the government could have waited for the final report.

About 150 grams of suspected PETN was found under the cushion of the chair occupied by Samajwadi Party’s Member of Legislative Assembly from Unchahar, Manoj Pandey, on 12 July. Two days later, on 14 July, Adityanath said in the House that the powder found was PETN. Some opposition leaders said it could well be talcum powder planted to implicate some of them. Pandey and his party legislator from Kannauj, Anil Dohre, were among several quizzed by the ATS.

That the sample was sent to Agra was reportedly attributed to IG ATS Aseem Arun. After the news of Agra laboratory report went viral, and the government denied having sent the sample to that laboratory, Arun said the preliminary report on the presence of PETN in the sample was positive. Since the NIA is mulling taking over the investigation, the sample was not sent to any other laboratory, Arun said, adding that the sample will be sent for re-examination in case NIA takes long in deciding on the case.

The significant part of his statement was that the police and ATS were not aware of the laboratory from where the Lucknow FSL got the test done.

In the prevailing confusion, the Congress demanded a judicial inquiry into the recovery of PETN from Vidhan Bhawan at a time when the House was in session.

To complicate the probe, it was reported that 94 of the 100 CCTV cameras installed on the Vidhan Bhawan premises were non-functional. This finding, which was yet to be denied, cast doubts about the secretariat administration’s sincerity towards the maintenance of security apparatus.

Nobody knows when the CCTV cameras were checked last, but they couldn’t have been done overnight. Whatever footage available has not revealed anything suspicious so far.

The Vidhan Bhawan complex has a three-layered security starting with the secretariat security force, but little is known about the recruitment process for this force. Although the Chief Minister has called for a background check on all the security personnel, he did not say anything about it. The second ring is that of Uttar Pradesh police while marshals are responsible for the security of the House.

Legislators, marshals and sweepers are the ones who have access to the House precincts. There is no frisking, full-body scanning of the legislators. Sweepers work under the watchful eyes of the marshals. So who took the powder inside the House is a matter of concern, whether it is PETN or not. The irony is that legislators, scores of whom have criminal backgrounds, do not like to be subjected to any security check.

Vidhan Bhawan

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