Domestic dispute ends in gelatin blast; Karnataka man, teen daughter killed
The Kalaburagi police said the man brought the gelatin sticks to his wife's parents’ house following days of conflict between the couple.
The police said the couple had been arguing for several days and that Rathod suspected that his wife was having an extramarital affair. (AI generated image)
What began as a domestic dispute ended in a deadly explosion at a house in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district Tuesday morning, killing a 49-year-old man and his teenage daughter and injuring five others.
According to the police in the Matki Thanda hamlet, Shivalal Baliram Rathod arrived at his in-laws’ house around 10.30 am, where his wife, Savitha, 40, had been living with their three children following a dispute between the couple.
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The police said the couple had been arguing for several days and that Rathod suspected that his wife was having an extramarital affair. After Savitha left their home with the children and moved to her parents’ house, Rathod reportedly followed her there Tuesday.
‘Intended to kill wife’
They said Rathod, who had previously worked in mining blasting, had brought gelatin sticks with him. An argument broke out between the couple and he allegedly tied the explosives around his waist, closed the main door of the house and detonated them.
“It appears that Rathod had come with the gelatin sticks with an intention to kill his wife. We have registered a case at the Alanda Police Station and are further investigating,” Adduru Srinivasulu, Superintendent of Police, Kalaburagi, said.
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The explosion killed Rathod and his 15-year-old daughter at the scene. Five others, including Savitha, their son Prakash, and relatives Surekha Chauhan, 30, and her 12-year-old son, were injured and taken to the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment.
The blast was powerful enough to damage neighbouring houses.
The police said Rathod had allegedly kept the gelatin sticks illegally. The explosives are commonly used in mining and construction activities and are not meant for unauthorised possession or use.
The police have registered a case at Alanda police station and are investigating the incident.
The police said the couple had been arguing for several days and that Rathod suspected that his wife was having an extramarital affair. (AI generated image) 
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