Chemicals of bombs used in Pulwama attack were sourced via Amazon: CAIT

New Delhi: The sale of marijuana on the Amazon e-commerce portal is not a new and first offence of Amazon, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said in a statement.

Earlier in 2019, the chemicals for making the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which were used in the Pulwama terror attack resulting in the death of 40 CRPF soldiers, were also purchased via the e-commerce portal, it added.

The NIA during the investigation of Pulwama case revealed this fact in its report in March 2020, the news also widely appeared in the media in March 2020. Besides other material, ammonium nitrate, which is a contraband item in India, was also purchased through the portal. CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that as per reports available in public domain during initial interrogation by the NIA, the person arrested disclosed that he used his Amazon online shopping account to procure chemicals for making IEDs, batteries and other accessories The explosives used in the attack were determined through forensic probe to be ammonium nitrate, nitro-glycerin etc. CAIT said since facilitation of sale of contraband item Ammonium Nitrate was used against our soldiers, a case of treason should be registered against Amazon and its officials. It is the result of the lukewarm attitude of the policy makers and officials that is allowing e-commerce portals to do whatever they like, CAIT statement said.

It is also most surprising how this sensational matter was made dead and no further actions were taken for sale of contraband items.

Bhartia and Khandelwal said that ammonium nitrate was declared a banned item in 2011 for which a notification was issued listing the dangerous grades of ammonium nitrate under the Explosives Act, 1884, and banning its open sale, purchase and manufacture in India. Ammonium nitrate was found to be the main explosive in the bombs used to trigger the explosions at busy and crowded areas. Before Mumbai, ammonium nitrate was used in the blasts at Varanasi and Malegaon in 2006 and in the serial blasts in Delhi in 2008. The CAIT from 2016 is demanding a codified law and rules for e-commerce but unfortunately no step has been taken so far which speaks to the sorry state of affairs.