Ludhiana, Oct. 14 -- After three days of chaos, protests, and heated exchanges between firecracker traders and the police, the much-delayed process of allotting firecracker shops in Ludhiana finally concluded on Monday. The police administration conducted the draw for the allotment of shops at Bachat Bhawan under tight security, bringing an end to the turmoil that had engulfed the city's cracker markets since last week.

The controversy began after the police initially rejected more than 1,200 out of 1,540 applications, sparking outrage among the traders. Accusing the police of bias and lack of transparency, the firecracker dealers indulged in a verbal spat with police officials, alleging that only 'favourite traders' were being considere...