BENGALURU: A parcel allegedly intended to kill Allauddin took a horrific turn when a 28-year-old painter, who was asked to help open it because he understood Hindi, was severely injured in the improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Pulikeshnagar on October 20.
Suraj Kumar, a native of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, lost vision in one eye and had fingers severed in the blast. Glass shards and metal fragments pierced his body, and he also suffered burn injuries. He is undergoing treatment, and doctors have found no damage to his vital organs, police said.
He was working as a painter and staying with his younger brother in an under-construction building where the explosion occurred. Sources said that the accused allegedly left the parcel near a petty shop on October 19 and called Allauddin, 53, asking him to collect it.
The caller spoke in Hindi, and Allauddin, who did not understand the language, collected the parcel after hearing the words “parcel” and “shop” over the phone. He later asked the building owner and other workers whether the parcel belonged to them, but they denied any knowledge of it. He subsequently kept it inside the building.
The following day, the accused allegedly called Allauddin several times and insisted that he open the parcel. As Allauddin could not understand Hindi, he handed his phone to Suraj.
The accused allegedly instructed Suraj over the phone to open the parcel. While Allauddin moved a short distance away, Suraj followed the instructions. The explosion occurred when he pressed a button on the device, police sources said.
Sources said the accused spoke in Hindi over the phone with Allauddin and did not use Sylheti, their local dialect, to ensure that Allauddin would not identify them.