PATNAGARH : The mystery behind the explosion of bomb, delivered as a gift to a newly-wed software engineer Soumya Sekhar Sahoo (25), which led to his and his grandmother Jemamani's death in their Patnagarh house in Balangir district on Friday, is gradually unfolding. Investigation by the police has revealed that the gift box, which came as a parcel, had been delivered by a courier from Raipur via Sambalpur and weighed 2.1 kg. Police have seized all related documents and formed two teams, one of which has been dispatched to Raipur to identify the sender.
Deputy Director of Regional Forensic Laboratory Hemanta Kumar Pradhan admitted that it was a power device and only after examination, the nature of the explosive and content can be ascertained. A case has been registered under Section 302, 307 of IPC and 9 (B) of Explosives Act. Additional SP B Satpathy is camping at Patnagarh and police are looking for clues.A pall of gloom descended on the town as grief-struck family members were in a state of mourning. Locals blocked the road at Block Chowk in Patngarh with the body demanding NIA probe into the incident. After a lot of cajoling, people finally agreed to take the body for the last rites.
Soumya married Reema of Ghantrapada in Boudh district on February 18 which was followed by reception in their Patnagarh house on February 20. On Friday at 12.45 pm, two persons came on a motorcycle to deliver the packet to Soumya saying it was a gift for his marriage. When the parcel arrived, Soumya, his wife, mother and grandmother Jema were present in the house. Expecting a gift, the four are believed to have opened the packet which exploded with a bang leaving the couple and Jema seriously injured.
Although they were shifted to Balangir District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), Jema was declared dead. Soumya was shifted to VIMSAR where he died. Later in the night, Reema was shifted to VIMSAR where she is battling for her life.