Mixer-grinder blast accused stalked women on matrimonial sites

HASSAN: The case related to the mixer-grinder blast in which a courier shop owner sustained injuries, is getting murkier with police investigation revealing that the prime suspect Anupkumar created fake accounts on matrimonial sites and would dupe unsuspecting women. The police are now on the lookout for those who helped him carry out the blast.

Vasantha, the consignee of the mixer-grinder, had returned the parcel to the courier shop. When she was told that she would have to pay Rs 300-350 for return delivery, she just dumped it there and left the place. The owner of the courier centre, Shashikumar, plugged in the appliance to see whether it was in working condition, when the blast occurred. Due to the impact, glass and other articles were broken while Shashikumar suffered injuries in his right hand and other parts of the body. He is now said to be out of danger and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

A huge vessel containing wads of currency notes, cookers filled with ‘gold pebbles’ and gold bars which Anupkumar said will go to Vasantha.

Anupkumar was pestering Vasantha, a widow with two children, to marry him and when she refused, he hatched a plot to eliminate her. He fixed a detonator to the mixer-grinder and sent it to her, but she refused to accept it and returned it to the courier firm.

In videos shared on WhatsApp, Anupkumar shows a huge vessel filled with cash while in another video, he points to two cookers, one of 20 litres capacity and another of 12 litres capacity, filled with what he says are “raw gold pebbles”. He also points to some gold bars and says all those are for Vasantha.

However, Vasantha got suspicious of his behaviour and distanced herself from him. Angered by this, he plotted to eliminate her.

Hassan SP Hariram Shankar and (right) the accused Anupkumar.

Hassan Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar said they have taken a complaint from the courier firm delivery person Ganesh and registered a case under the Explosives Act. “We have arrested Anupkumar and are on the lookout for those who supplied the detonators and those who helped him fix it in the mixer-grinder. The detonator used was similar to the type used for blasting in mines and more than one detonator was fixed to the mixer-grinder by cutting the wires. There was no short-circuit and it was a clear attempt at murder. Anupkumar had visited Hassan earlier with 2-3 people before sending the parcel”, he added.

Meanwhile, the courier outlet owner Shashikumar has sought relief for the losses that he has suffered and demanded that the culprits must be punished. He had opened the franchise only in January after borrowing loans.