Madhugiri (Tumkur District: The judge and a clerk of the 5th Fast Track Court were injured in an explosion that occurred while burning old documents and articles in seized in old cases on the court premises here on Tuesday.
The police said that while the judge, P Narayanachar, suffered a minor injury below his left eye, the clerk Sannahonnanarasaiah suffered serious injuries. He has been admitted in the District Hospital in Tumkur and is recovering.
Country-made bombs
While it is still not clear how the explosion occurred, it is suspected that some gelatin sticks or country-made bombs were part of the seized good that were being burned.
In 2003, country-made bombs were seized from the then Naxal-infested Pavagada taluk and the 5th Fast Track Court had tried some Naxal-related cases. In 2009, gelatine sticks were seized in a case. Gelatin may have somehow become mixed in with the old articles which were being burned, sources speculated.
‘Unidentified substance’
Tumkur Superintendent of Police Raman Gupta told Deccan Herald that they were yet to ascertain the nature of the explosive substance. It is too early to state that country-made bombs or gelatine sticks may have caused the explosion, he said after visiting the spot.
Experts from the State Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Bangalore would visit the spot for an examination, Gupta said.
