In a chilling tale of love and calculated revenge, Karnataka police have uncovered a murder plot behind the hair dryer blast in Ilkal town, Bagalkote district. The explosion, which occurred on November 15, left a woman severely injured and revealed a twisted conspiracy by quarry worker Siddappa Sheelavant (35).
Police arrested Sheelavant, a resident of Kushtagi Taluk, Koppal district, who worked in the granite industry and was skilled in handling explosives, as per a report on PTI. According to authorities, Sheelavant sought to kill Shasikala, a neighbor of his beloved, Basava Rajeshwari. He suspected Shasikala of causing a rift between him and Rajeshwari, a widow with whom he was romantically involved.
Rajeshwari and Shasikala had recently become friends, and Sheelavant believed this friendship distanced Rajeshwari from him. Driven by jealousy and anger, he crafted a deadly plan. Using his knowledge of explosives, Sheelavant planted a detonator inside a hair dryer and couriered the device to Shasikala’s address.
On November 15, Shasikala received the parcel but, being preoccupied, handed it over to her neighbor Rajeshwari to inspect. When Rajeshwari switched on the device, it exploded, severely injuring her hand and blowing off parts of her palm.
Initially, authorities suspected the blast was caused by a short circuit. However, further investigation led to Sheelavant's arrest, where he confessed to orchestrating the attack to eliminate Shasikala.
Bagalkote Superintendent of Police Amarnath Reddy confirmed the details of the plot and said efforts are underway to determine if others were involved in the conspiracy, reported Times Of India. Rajeshwari is recovering from her injuries, while police continue to probe the motives and execution of the heinous crime.
The incident, which went unnoticed for several days, has now spotlighted the dark side of personal vendettas and the dangerous misuse of industrial knowledge.
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