What began as a festive craze has turned into a nightmare for hundreds of families across Madhya Pradesh. The number of victims injured by carbide guns, the makeshift explosive devices being sold as "toys", has now crossed 320, with more than 186 cases reported from Bhopal and nearby areas alone, followed by Gwalior with 35 cases. Shockingly, 80 per cent of the injured are children, many left struggling to see again.
Doctors at Hamidia and other hospitals say that nearly 40 victims have suffered corneal damage, and for many, it may take up to six months before their vision can recover, if at all.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav met victims at Hamidia Hospital on Friday evening. Among them were Prashant Malviya (Nariyalkheda), Karan Panthi (Garib Nagar Chhola), Arish (Bhanpur), and Ansh Prajapati (Parwalia Road). Ansh told the Chief Minister he was hit by other boys using carbide guns, while others admitted they had been injured while using the device themselves.
According to the doctors, the devices use acetylene gas explosions to produce a deafening sound and pressure wave that can burn skin, shatter eardrums, and cause permanent blindness.
The Chief Minister ordered an immediate statewide crackdown, directing that carbide guns be treated as prohibited explosive devices under the Arms Act (1959), Explosives Act (1884), and Explosive Substances Act (1908).
Chief Secretary Anurag Jain issued strict instructions to all districts, banning the manufacture, sale, possession, and use of carbide guns with immediate effect. The state government has also begun a public awareness campaign, especially targeting parents, schools, and children, to warn that carbide guns are not toys but explosive weapons.
The Cyber Cell has been ordered to monitor e-commerce websites and social media for listings of carbide guns or their components, while local police teams are conducting raids on toy shops and roadside vendors.
Field officers have been instructed to inspect suspicious shops, seize illegal materials, and maintain photographic and forensic records of confiscated items.
A helpline and reporting system will soon be launched so citizens can alert police about suspicious sales or usage.
According to the Police Headquarters, carbide guns fall under punishable offenses listed in the Explosives Act, 1884 (Sections 4(d), 5, 6(a)(i)) and Arms Act, 1959 (Sections 2(b)(iii), 2(c), 9(b)). Violators can face three to seven years of imprisonment and fines.
So far, police have registered six FIRs in Bhopal, eight in Vidisha, and one in Gwalior, as part of a statewide campaign against illegal sellers.
