Summary:
- A 25-year-old groom and his brother were killed in India when a music system gifted by the bride’s ex-lover exploded, destroying the roof and damaging three walls of their house.
- The prime suspect, Sarju Markam, 33, an auto mechanic, was arrested after investigators discovered he had a motive for revenge when the bride refused to become his second wife.
- Markam faces the possibility of life imprisonment under India’s Explosive Substances Act for using his knowledge of electronics and explosives to create the deadly wedding gift.
Kabiridham, India (MandyNews) โ A tragic incident took place in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district, where a 25-year-old groom, Hemendra Merawi, and his brother, Rajkumar, 30, were killed in an explosion on April 2.
The device, a music system rigged with explosives, was a wedding gift from the bride’s ex-lover, who has been arrested.
The explosion occurred one day after Hemendra’s wedding, when he and his brother unwrapped and set up the gifted music system.
The blast was so intense that it destroyed the roof of the house and damaged three walls, killing both brothers.
Five other family members, including an 18-month-old child, sustained injuries in the incident. At the time, Hemendra’s bride, a 29-year-old woman, was at her parents’ home.
Police talked to the bride and her family and found that Sarju Markam, 33, an auto mechanic and the bride’s ex-lover, was the main suspect. Markam was apprehended at his workplace on April 3.
According to The Independent, Markam, already married with children, was angered when the bride refused to become his second wife.
Hemendra’s desire for revenge grew stronger when she chose to marry him through an arranged marriage. The day before the wedding, Markam tried to get the bride to call off the wedding but failed. He also threatened Hemendra.
The Superintendent of Police, Lal Umed Singh, revealed that Hemendra and his fiancรฉe had discussed the threats and that the issue seemed to be settled.
However, unbeknownst to them, Markam had devised a sinister plan for retribution.
Markam used his knowledge of electronics repair and explosives from his previous job at a stone-crushing unit to make the dangerous wedding gift.
Police suspect that Markam stole 250 grams of ammonium nitrate from his former workplace around 2015 to use in the explosive device.
He also put together the music system with 1.5 kilograms of gunpowder made from firecrackers, gasoline, and other things.
On March 31, with the help of a friend who was unaware of his intentions, Markam attended the wedding venue and placed the wrapped music system among the other wedding gifts before leaving.
Markam could spend the rest of his life in prison for what he did because of India’s Explosive Substances Act. Because of the terrible accident, a newlywed woman lost her husband, and her family lost two loved ones.