Jilted lover plants explosives in music system wrapped as gift, 2 killed

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 6 (ANI): Chhattisgarh's Kawardha Police cracked the home theatre explosion case wherein two persons were killed, arresting a man for allegedly planting explosives in the sound system.

The arrested man has been identified as Sarju Markam (33), a native of Madhya Pradesh, said Kawardha Superintendent of Police (SP) Lal Umed Singh.

The officer further informed that Hemendra Merawi (30) and his brother Rajkumar (32) died after a music system, which was received as a wedding gift, exploded. During the investigation, it came to light that the home theatre was gifted by the accused following which he was arrested from Balaghat on Tuesday.

"On being questioned, the accused revealed that he had planted explosives in the music system with the intention to kill the newly wedded couple. The accused had used ammonium nitrate, petrol and explosives used in firecrackers, weighing about 2 kg, to make the bomb and planted it inside the home theatre," said SP Lal Umed.

The accused had procured the explosives from a stone crusher plant in Indore where he was working in 2015-16, the officer said.

The investigation also revealed that the accused was in a relationship with Merawi's wife and was in constant contact with her, the officer added.

Merawi, a resident of Chamari village under Rengakhar police station limits, tied the nuptial knot with a woman from a nearby village Anjana on March 31 and the reception was organised in his house on April 1.
On April 3, when Merawi and his brother switched on the music system it exploded leaving the former dead on the spot while several others were injured. During treatment Rajkumar also succumbed to his injuries.

After learning about the incident, police and forensic teams rushed to the spot and found traces of explosives at the scene of the crime following which a probe was launched from different angles, the SP said.

SP Lal Umed said that while analysing the call detail record of Merawi's wife, it was revealed that she was in touch with Markam and the duo were in a relationship. As the woman refused to break her marriage and stopped having conversations with Markam, the jilted lover planted the explosives in a music system and managed to place it at the victim's home.

An offence in this connection was registered under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Explosives Substances Act, said Kawardha SP, adding that further probe in the case is underway. (ANI)