Karnataka man rigs hair dryer with explosives to kill girlfriend’s neighbor

A man’s sinister plan to kill his girlfriend’s neighbor went awry, injuring the girlfriend instead, in Karnataka’s Ilkal.
According to an Indian Express report, police arrested Siddappa Sheelavant, a resident of Kurtageri village in Koppal district, for sending a booby-trapped hair dryer designed to kill Shashikala, the neighbor of his partner Basavarajeshwari Yarnal.
Sheelavant, a worker in a granite company with expertise in explosives, planted a detonator inside a hair dryer bought for ₹500. The device was delivered to Shashikala’s address on November 15, the report added.
However, Shashikala, unaware of the sender, asked her neighbor Basavarajeshwari (Sheelavant’s girlfriend) to collect the package. Out of curiosity, Basavarajeshwari opened it the next day and switched it on, triggering the explosion.
The blast caused severe injuries to Basavarajeshwari, a widow of an Indian Army soldier, leaving her with permanent damage to her hands. She is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.
Investigators uncovered that Sheelavant was in a long-term relationship with Basavarajeshwari, which continued after her husband’s death. When Shashikala advised Basavarajeshwari to end the relationship, Sheelavant decided to kill her, the report added.
Using his knowledge of quarrying explosives, he rigged the hair dryer, making it appear as though it was sent from Visakhapatnam.
According to the report, Superintendent of Police Amarnath Reddy said initial suspicions pointed to an electrical fault, but further investigation revealed Sheelavant’s calculated plan. He said the explosive was deliberately planted to harm Shashikala.
Basavarajeshwari recalled the incident, stating, “Shashikala asked me to collect the parcel as she was unavailable. The package was addressed to her but sent by an unknown sender. When I opened and switched it on, it exploded with a loud noise.”
Both women, widows of soldiers, had become friends after meeting at a commemorative event, the report added.
Police have registered a case and are continuing the investigation.