--- description: Rajendra Kasawa is suspected of illegally storing explosives that caused an explosion over the weekend killing at least 89 people title: Authorities in India Hunt for Blast Suspect image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2a1a45f0c300ed0/6988636bcf40a85698c3fac8/gettyimages-488029136.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Indian Authorities Hunt Suspect in Weekend's Deadly Blast by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 14, 2015 3:49 AM CUT  This photo taken on Sept. 12, 2015, shows an Indian man standing at the site of a powerful explosion in Petlawad in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh This photo taken on Sept. 12, 2015, shows an Indian man standing at the site of a powerful explosion in Petlawad in the central Indian state of Madhya PradeshSam Panthaky—AFP/Getty Images by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 14, 2015 3:49 AM CUT Police in India have [initiated a manhunt](http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/jhabua-explosion-manhunt-to-arrest-person-who-stored-explosives-in-building/article7648387.ece "undefined") for the person suspected of illegally storing explosives that caused an explosion over the weekend in the northern state of Madhya Pradesh, killing at least 89 people. Rajendra Kasawa and his family went missing on Saturday after the explosion in the town of Petlawad in Jhabua district, the Press Trust of India reported. The blast, which [left more than 100 people injured](http://time.com/4032436/india-restaurant-explosion/ "undefined"), was reportedly caused by explosives used for mining that Kasawa allegedly stored illegally in a residential building, destroying the house as well as a neighboring restaurant. He is facing multiple charges against him including culpable homicide. The incident has also ignited a political feud between the opposition Congress Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the former accusing the latter of being “soft” on Kasawa because he was part of a BJP-affiliated local traders association. The BJP has denied the allegations and accused the Congress of “playing politics over dead bodies,” [according](http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/jhabua-blast-police-launch-manhunt-to-arrest-man-who-stored-explosives-in-building/ "undefined") to the _Indian Express_ newspaper. The _Express_ quoted local police officials as saying that Kasawa’s two older brothers, who live in a different part of the town, have also vanished along with their families. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4033003/jhabua-blast-india-manhunt-rajendra-kasawa/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4033003/jhabua-blast-india-manhunt-rajendra-kasawa/"},"headline":"Indian Authorities Hunt Suspect in Weekend's Deadly Blast","datePublished":"2015-09-14T03:49:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T10:54:10.226Z","description":"At least 89 people were killed when illegally stored explosives ignited in a residential building","url":"https://time.com/4033003/jhabua-blast-india-manhunt-rajendra-kasawa/","keywords":["Congress","India","police","homicide","Narendra Modi","Bharatiya Janata Party","Mining"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2a1a45f0c300ed0/6988636bcf40a85698c3fac8/gettyimages-488029136.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rishi Iyengar","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2a1a45f0c300ed0/6988636bcf40a85698c3fac8/gettyimages-488029136.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"INDIA-BLAST","caption":"INDIA-BLAST","creditText":"Sam Panthaky—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4033003/jhabua-blast-india-manhunt-rajendra-kasawa/","name":"Indian Authorities Hunt Suspect in Weekend's Deadly Blast"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Explosion In India Leaves At Least 82 Dead","description":"A massive explosion in central India has left at least 82 people dead and many more wounded. 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