MANGALURU: In what seems to be a case of attempt to murder, a house in Kabaka Polya, Puttur, was partially damaged at 2.20 am on Tuesday after gelatin sticks placed outside the house exploded while the inhabitants were still inside. The house belonged to one Narayan Prasad (55) and his wife Shalini (33) was the injured. She was rushed to AJ Hospital and is recuperating.
According to the complaint filed by the couple, who are running a catering business, they suspect a man from Kerala, whom they had sheltered, behind the blast. According to the complaint, the couple had evicted the man recently owing to his addiction to alcohol.
Police Inspector of Puttur Town Station Thimmappa said Prasad heard some noise outside the house and suspected it to be Babu, the man he had sheltered for three months. Shalini stepped out of the house to confront the intruder when the bomb exploded. Due to her proximity to the bomb, which was placed near the door, Shalini sustained major injuries to her leg. Shalini reportedly saw someone ignite a gelatin stick and escape. The police reached the spot to find two more gelatin sticks and detonators and defused them.
The police reached the spot to find two more gelatin sticks and detonators and defused them. A cloth connecting the three bombs belonged to Babu, the couple said.“The victims identified the piece of cloth as the one which Babu was carrying,” said sub-inspector of Puttur Town Station Ajay Kumar. Ajay Kumar said the couple had allowed a Kerala-based man into their house three months ago for humanitarian reasons.
However, over time, the man turned out to be a nuisance as he came home drunk each night. “A week ago, the couple asked him to leave the house,” he said. He is suspected to have attempted to kill the two as an act of revenge.
While the man’s real name is unknown, he was called Babu and spoke a little Kannada. He was unemployed and helped the family in gardening and worked as a helper in their business, said police.
Police have booked a case against Babu under various sections of the IPC and Explosives Act. The police said tracing the suspect has become a challenging task as he does not use a cell phone. The police have formed special squads to nab him.