Chhattisgarh: Newly married man, his brother killed as home theatre gifted in wedding explodes; cops suspect explosive planted in device

Kawardha, April 4 (PTI) A newly married man and his elder brother were killed and four others injured after a home theatre music system they had received as wedding gift exploded in their house in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district, police on Tuesday said adding that prima facie it seems an explosive was planted in the electronic device.”

The incident took place on Monday in Chamari village under Rengakhar police station limits when Hemendra Merawi (22), who got married last week, was trying to switch on the music system, Kabirdham Superintendent of Police (SP) Lal Umed Singh told PTI. The impact of the explosion led to the collapse of walls and roof of the room where the music system was kept, according to police.

As per preliminary information, Merawi got married to a woman from Anjana village located under adjoining Jhalmala police station area on March 30, the SP said.
The next day, the woman went back to her paternal home from the place of her in-laws as per rituals. Both Rengakhar and Jhalmala police station areas fall in a Naxal-affected belt along the border of Chhattisgarh-Madhya Pradesh, around 200 km away from capital Raipur.

On Monday, Merawi and the other family members were unwrapping the wedding presents inside a room in his house, Additional Superintendent of Police Manisha Thakur said. As Merawi switched on the music system after connecting its wire to an electric board, an explosion occurred. Merawi died on the spot, she said. His brother Rajkumar (30) and four others, including a one-and-a-half year boy, suffered injuries and they were shifted to the district hospital in Kawardha, Thakur said. Merawi’s brother succumbed during treatment.

The others are undergoing treatment in the hospital, the police official said.
Forensic teams from Durg and Raipur districts were roped in for a probe into the incident and prima facie, it was found that an explosive was placed inside the music system, Singh said. A renowned brand name was printed on the cover of the music system, but it seems to be a copy of the original brand. We are trying to ascertain who had gifted the device and from where it was purchased,” the SP said.
Further probe is on into the incident, he added.

Durgesh Rawte, station house officer of Rengakhar police station, said during inspection of the room, no other inflammable item was found which could have triggered the explosion. The music system was the only equipment which exploded in the room, he said, adding the cause of the explosion will be known after the investigation.