Kolkata, May 19 (IANS): Facing massive criticism over the blast at an illegal fire-cracker factory at Egra in East Midnapore district that claimed nine lives on Tuesday, the state police directorate has ordered the transfer of the inspector-in-charge of the local police station, Mausam Bhattacharya.

Bhattacharya will be replaced by Swapan Goswami, who has prior experience of serving in the same police station.

After the blast, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had criticised the role of Bhattacharya in handling the matter.

"The owner of the factory was earlier arrested on similar charges. The inspector-in-charge should be issued a show-cause notice and asked how he could continue with the same illegal activities after being released on bail," Banerjee had said after the blast on Tuesday.

Incidentally, on Thursday morning, the owner of the illegal cracker unit, Krishnapada Bag a.k.a. Bhanu, died at a private nursing home at Odisha's Cuttack. He was also injured in the blast and had absconded to Cuttack. He died before the investigating officers could record his statement.

Although initial probe has suggested that the explosion was caused by the raw materials stocked at the illegal factory, the opposition parties have claimed that the impact of the explosion proves that not fire-crackers, but crude bombs were being manufactured there.