Newly married man, his brother killed as bomb-laden home theatre gifted by wife’s ex-lover explodes

News Network
April 5, 2023

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The police have solved the case of a home theatre music system explosion in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh and arrested former lover of a newly married woman for allegedly planting a bomb in the electronic device with an intention to kill the couple, an official said on Wednesday, April 5.

The woman's husband Hemendra Merawi (30) and his brother Rajkumar (32) were killed following the explosion in the music system, gifted by accused Sarju Markam (33), a married man from Chhapla village in Balaghat district of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, they said.

Markam was arrested from Balaghat on Tuesday after his involvement in the crime surfaced during the investigation, Kabirdham Superintendent of Police Lal Umed Singh said. 

"The accused told the police that he had planted the explosive in the home theatre and gifted it to the newly married couple in a bid to kill them," he said.

Merawi, a resident of Chamari village under Rengakhar police station limits, got married to a 29-year-old woman from nearby Anjana village on March 31 and the wedding reception was held in his house on April 1, he said.

On Monday, when Merawi was trying to switch on the home theatre received as the wedding gift, it exploded. Merawi died on the spot and five others including his elder brother suffered injuries, the official said.

His brother later succumbed during treatment at the district hospital, he added.

The forensic team spotted traces of gunpowder during investigation of the spot following which family members of the bride and groom were questioned, he said.

The questioning and call details revealed that Merawi's wife was in constant touch with Markam. The duo had an affair and Markam was unhappy since the woman stopped talking to him after her marriage got fixed with Merawi, the official said.

Merawi's call details also revealed that he spoke to Markam on March 30, the day when the former's wedding rituals began, he said.

Based on the investigation, police reached a shop in Mandai area of Balaghat from where the music system, which had Sony brand name printed on it, was purchased and questioned the shop owner who confirmed that Markam had bought it, he said.

The police subsequently zeroed-in on Markam, who worked as an auto mechanic in Birsa (Balaghat), and arrested him, the official said.

Markam told the police that he "committed the crime and revealed that he used ammonium nitrate, petrol and gunpowder retrieved from firecrackers, weighing about 2 kg, to make the bomb and fitted it inside the home theatre."

He used the device power supply as a mechanism to trigger the blast, the police official said. Markam came on a motorcycle to Chamari on April 1, the reception day, and placed the wrapped music system along with other gifts and went from there, he said.

Singh said Markam had worked in a stone crusher plant in 2015-16 in Indore and learnt from there how to make bombs using ammonium nitrate.

The accused had collected ammonium nitrate from the same crusher plant and kept it with him, the official said. After the woman refused to break up her marriage and stopped talking to Markam, he hatched a conspiracy to kill the couple, he added.

So far, the role of any other person has not been surfaced in the offence, the SP said, adding that further investigation is underway. The accused has been booked under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Explosives Substances Act, he added.

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News Network
April 25,2024

Bengaluru: Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has issued a series of animated shorts in Kannada advising people of appropriate measures to take during extreme temperatures to keep oneself safe.

 “Karnataka has not seen such extreme temperatures and heat waves in the recent past. So, we wanted to ensure a wider reach for safety measures, therefore we decided to issue them in a reader-friendly format,” said an official from KSNDMC.

Meteorological Centre Bengaluru, Indian Meteorological Department, had issued a five-day heat wave warning, lasting till April orange alert, for parts of Karnataka.

“In places like Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Kalaburgi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Tumkur, Mandya, Gadag, Davangere and Chitradurga, the temperature is likely to touch 40 degrees Celsius tomorrow,” said C P Patil, director of the centre.

On April 25, these places recorded a maximum temperature of 39 degrees Celsius.

Orange alert would mean increased likelihood of heat illness symptoms in people who are exposed to sun for a prolonged period of time as well as those who do heavy manual work.

According to Patil, coastal Karnataka will also have very hot and humid weather conditions, making it very uncomfortable for people there.

“It’s best for children and old people to avoid exposure to heat in coastal areas too,” added Patil.

In places where heat wave is predicted, people are advised to avoid direct exposure to sunlight between 12 noon and 3pm.

“When they go out, it is best to use protective goggles, an umbrella or a hat. Also aerated drinks must be avoided since they cause dehydration. Best to drink water as much as possible, even if you don’t feel thirsty,” said M Rajavel, head of LACD, Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru.

People are also advised not to leave the children or pets inside parked vehicles.

The maximum and minimum temperatures of Bengaluru are very likely to be around 37 degree Celsius and 23 degree Celsius respectively for the next 48 hours, said Patil.

Hassan recorded the highest jump from its normal minimum temperature. It recorded 22.6 degrees Celsius, about 2.8 degrees more than usual.

According to IMD, on April 29 light rain is also very likely in isolated places over Bidar, Kalaburgi, Yadgir, Vijayapura, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu, Mysuru, Mandya and Chitradurga districts.

On April 30, light rain is predicted again for Bidar, Kalaburgi, Yadgir, Vijayapura, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Chikkamagaluru, Tumkur, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban and Kodagu districts.

Incidentally, KSNDMC has also issued a series of animated advisory for lightning safety.

“We also update temperature every 15 minutes in our X handle in coordination with IMD,” added the KSNDMC official.

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News Network
April 27,2024

The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces has said it has carried out new operations against American and British targets in retaliation for their aggression on the country.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree said on Friday that Yemen’s naval forces struck a British oil tanker in the Red Sea with missiles.

Saree also said the military also shot down an American MQ-9 drone in Sa’ada province.

He added that the new operations were also a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, amid the Israeli genocide there. 

“The Yemeni Armed Forces salute all the people of Yemen for their faithful response to the call of the fighter leader Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr El-Din Al-Houthi, may Allah protect him, in their unprecedented large-scale interaction in support of our oppressed brothers in the Gaza Strip, affirming support for the Armed Forces in their military operations against the ‘Israeli’ enemy and against the American-British aggression supporting it in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Indian Ocean,” Saree said.

He stressed that the Yemeni armed forces will continue operations in the Red and Arabian Seas as well as the Indian Ocean until the Western-backed Israeli genocide comes to a halt.

Since the start of the brutal campaign in Gaza, the regime has killed more than 34,300 Palestinians and injured over 77,000 others. It has cut off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have been targeting Israeli vessels or those “associated” with the occupying regime in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea since October 7, 2023.

The regime ignited its bloody war machine in the besieged Palestinian territory on that October day in response to Operation Al-Aqsa Storm conducted by the resistance movement Hamas.

The maritime attacks have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.

Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal.

The pro-Palestine maritime campaign has also prompted airstrikes by the US and its allies on Yemen – in violation of the Yemeni sovereignty and international law.

In consequence, Yemen’s armed forces have declared US and British vessels as legitimate targets.

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News Network
April 29,2024

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Mysuru, Apr 29: Veteran politician and incumbent Chamarajanagar MP V Srinivas Prasad breathed his last at 76.The stalwart BJP leader, who had been battling health issues, succumbed to a severe heart attack, leaving behind a void in Karnataka's political arena.

A Dalit leader in the Old Mysuru region, Prasad was in Congress but joined the Bharatiya Janata Party before the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections following a fallout with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The two had recently met in Mysuru and discussed the political scenario in the state.

Prasad extended support to the Congress in the Lok Sabha election 2024 and this is being seen as a crucial factor in the SC-reserved Chamarajanagar constituency, which Prasad represented in Parliament. On April 2, Prasad’s relatives and supporters joined Congress.

He served as a Union minister from 1999 to 2004 as the Loka Jana Shakthi MP. In the Karnataka Assembly elections, he was elected twice as an MLA and served as the state’s revenue minister.

Prasad, known for his distinguished political career spanning over five decades, was admitted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru due to urinary tract-related complications and age-related ailments.

However, his condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to his untimely demise in the wee hours of Monday.

Born on August 6, 1947, in Ashokapuram, Mysuru, Prasad's political journey was marked by significant milestones. He represented Chamarajanagar constituency as MP for an unprecedented seven terms and had derved as MLA from Nanjangud constituency twice.

He had held key ministerial portfolios including Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and Minister for Revenue and Muzrai in the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government.

He had joined the BJP officially in December 2016 and was elected as MP from Chamarajanagar again in 2019, showcasing his enduring popularity among constituents.

Prasad's demise has plunged the political fraternity and his supporters into mourning. His family members, political associates, and well-wishers are gathering to pay their final respects as his mortal remains are being transported from Manipal Hospital to his residence in Jayalakshmipuram, Mysuru.

The Exhibition Grounds in Mysuru will witness a stream of mourners as Prasad's mortal remains will be kept for public viewing, allowing people from all walks of life to bid farewell to their beloved leader.

Prasad's name had come up in the 'Tehelka tapes' controversy, after the sting operation by magazine Tehelka to expose defence deals under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. The tapes showed Samata Party leader Jaya Jaitley allegedly telling an arms dealer to deposit money with Prasad, who was then in Bengaluru. However, Prasad denied these claims, saying he was in Mysuru at the time, and also sued Tehelka for defamation.

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