Man kills girlfriend by stuffing explosive device in her mouth

A22-year-old adult male was arrested on mon for allegedly cleanup a 20-year-old adult female he was in a human relationship with by stuffing an explosive device into her mouth and triggering it after an argument at a lodge in Karnataka’s Mysuru, police said.According to police, the incident took place on August 23 at a lodge in Bherya village of Saligrama taluk in Mysuru.“The victim, identified as Rakshita, also known as Darshitha, was a resident of Gerasanahalli village in Hunsur taluk of Mysuru. She was married to one AP Subhash, who works as a bus driver in Dubai, since 10 years and the couple has a two-year-old girl,” said an officer familiar with the matter, adding that Rakshita has been in a relationship with accused Siddaraju, who is also a distant relative, for the last seven years.According to sub-inspector VS Shashi Kumar, Rakshita and Siddaraju checked into the lodge at around 2.45 pm on August 23.“The accused said he had stepped out of the hotel to bring food. He said he returned after 20 minutes with food, but found the door locked and there was no response from inside. After the lodge staff opened the room, the woman was found in a pool of blood. We have arrested the accused and launched an investigation,” he said.A senior police officer aware of the investigation said Siddaraju tried to flee after the murder, claiming that her death was due to an accident but was caught by locals and handed over to the police.Investigators also believe that the killing was planned weeks in advance. Siddaraju, who worked as a salesman at a hardware shop in Bettadapura, is thought to have used his familiarity with quarry explosives to assemble the device. “He knows how detonators function. He used an old charger to fashion the device almost a month before the crime,” said Kumar.About the motive, police said Rakshita and Siddaraju’s relationship had soured since five years, and the victim was planning to join her husband in Dubai. She had also allegedly lent Siddaraju ₹80,000 and was pressuring him to return the money.Police have registered a case under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).Meanwhile, the Irikkur police station in Kannur district of Kerala have also filed a theft case against Rakshita on the basis of a complaint filed by her mother-in-law on August 22.“The complainant said around 30 sovereigns of gold and ₹4 lakh was found to be missing from their home on the evening of August 22. Darshitha had left the home on the morning of August 22, stating that she was going to her maternal home near Hunsur in Karnataka. Police officers reached Hunsur, but did not find her,” the officer said.The officer added: “It is not clear if Darshitha stole the money and gold though she remains one of the suspects. No other arrests have been made yet.”