Ilkal hair dryer explosion turns out to be murder plot

The investigation into the recent hair dryer explosion in Ilkal town of Bagalkot district has exposed a murder conspiracy hatched over an illicit relationship.

A hair dryer sent through courier exploded after it was plugged into a power source at a house in Ilkal, early this week. The fingers of both the hands of a woman were mutilated due to the impact of the explosion, police said. A man by name Siddappa Sheelavantha Kushtagi has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Addressing a press meet here on Friday, Superintendent of Police Amarnath Reddy said that the injured woman was in relationship with Siddappa.

“They both knew each other even before their marriage. The woman came in contact with Siddappa after her husband died. Siddappa has admitted to the relationship,” the SP said.

However, Chandrakala (name changed), a friend of the victim advised the latter to stay away from Siddappa and accordingly, the victim started distancing herself from him. An enraged Siddappa planned to murder Chandrakala.

Siddappa, who worked for a granite firm, had access to detonator used to blast boulders. He fixed detonator to the hair dryer and couriered it to Chandrakala. Since she was not in the town, Chandrakala had asked her friend - the victim - to receive the courier.

The children of the victim were curious to know the contents of the courier.

The victim opened it and plugged the hair dryer to power source when it exploded, the SP said.