Man plants explosives in 'wedding gift' for ex-partner, 2 killed: Police

A 32-year-old man allegedly planted explosives in a music system and presented it as a wedding gift to his ex-girlfriend, but it resulted in the death of her husband and brother-in-law in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Sarju Markam, a resident of Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, was arrested on Tuesday, said Kabirdham additional superintendent of police (ASP) Manisha Thakur.

The accused gave the music system to Hemendra Merawi (22), a resident of Chamari village, and his wife Lalita Marwai (22), a resident of adjoining Anjana village, as a wedding gift on March 30, police said..

"On Monday, Hemendra Merawi and other family members were unwrapping the wedding presents inside a room in his house. As Merawi switched on the music system, it exploded," said ASP Thakur. "While Merawi died on the spot, four others, including his elder brother Rajkumar (30), suffered injuries."

Rajkumar succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The impact of the explosion was such that it led to the collapse of walls and roof of the room, the officer said.

Thakur said Markam was arrested on Tuesday. "During his questioning, the accused confessed to having planted explosives in the music system and gifting it to the newlyweds," said the ASP. "We are yet to ascertain from where he got explosives and other details of the case."

A case under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at the Rengakhar police station, the ASP added. The accused will be produced before the court on Wednesday.

Kabirdham superintendent of police (SP) Lal Ummed Singh said the accused had a relation with the Lalita, but she refused his marriage proposal.

"When the woman's marriage was fixed by her family members, Markam called the groom on phone and had an argument. Subsequently, he decided to kill the groom," Singh said. "He purchased ammonium nitrate and mixed it with petrol and gunpowder, which he retrieved from crackers."

The accused was a motor mechanic in Balaghat, but he had previously worked with bore-machine contractors, the SP said. "Therefore, he was aware of explosives and knew how to trigger it."