A Diwali evening turned tragic in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district when a 35-year-old man died after an explosive device, allegedly disguised as a rasgulla, blew up inside his mouth.
The man believed he was being offered a sweet by an acquaintance. The object was later identified as a crude bomb commonly used to kill wild boars. He suffered severe injuries to his jaw and later died at the district hospital.
The incident took place on Tuesday evening in Padariya Chhanta village under the jurisdiction of Kotwali police station.
How the explosion occurred
Rajendra Barautiya had finished dinner and was sitting around a fire in the courtyard of his house with family members at around 7 pm. About an hour later, a village resident named Rambhagat Barautiya arrived.
The two men began talking while sitting near the fire. During the conversation, Rambhagat allegedly offered Rajendra an object and described it as a rasgulla. Trusting the acquaintance, Rajendra put it in his mouth.
The moment he pressed it with his teeth, the object exploded. The blast severely damaged his jaw and left him critically injured. Family members immediately arranged an auto-rickshaw and took him to the district hospital. Despite medical treatment, he did not survive.
The nature of the device
The explosive was a crude device used in some rural and tribal areas to kill wild boars. Such devices are made using gunpowder and other explosive material, sometimes sourced from firecrackers or quarrying activities. They are designed to explode when an animal bites them.
Their round shape can make them resemble traditional Indian sweets, including rasgullas. These devices are highly dangerous and can cause fatal injuries.
Police action and investigation
Police carried out the necessary proceedings and sent Rajendra’s body for postmortem examination. Kotwali police station in-charge Durga Prasad Nagpure said a case had been registered against Rambhagat Barautiya under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosives Act.
Police are investigating the circumstances and searching for the accused. Investigators are examining whether the explosive was deliberately given with the intention of causing harm or whether the incident resulted from an act of mischief. The exact motive will become clearer as the probe continues.
