A car caught fire on NH-48 near Sira in Tumakuru district of Karnataka, on June 27, 2026. One person was killed and another sustained injuries in the incident, as per police.
The Tumakuru police have cracked the case involving the discovery of crude bombs after a car explosion on National Highway-48. They have arrested a 64-year-old man from Uttara Kannada district, in Karnataka, for allegedly supplying the explosives to the deceased.
A 30-year-old man, reportedly upset over his female friend breaking up with him, allegedly abducted her from Jayanagar. He took her towards his hometown Ankola. During the trip, he allegedly blew up the car they were travelling in using a ‘petrol bomb’-like device, near Jogihalli in Sira taluk of Tumakuru district
The case stems from an incident on June 27 when accused Nagendra (30) allegedly abducted a woman from Bengaluru in a cab at knifepoint. While the cab was passing through Sira sub-division, the accused allegedly attempted to attack the woman with a knife. He allegedly threatened the cab driver, claiming he was carrying ‘crude bombs’.
The driver managed to throw one ‘crude bomb’ out of the vehicle after the accused allegedly tried to ignite it. The woman escaped from the cab, and fled on a passing two-wheeler. Moments later, Nagendra allegedly ignited another crude bomb inside the cab, triggering an explosion that killed him on the spot, and destroyed the car, while the driver managed to escape.
Police secured another unexploded crude bomb found near the spot with the help of the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO). The bomb was later safely defused at a designated location after obtaining court permission.
A Special Investigation Team headed by Sira sub-division police launched an extensive probe involving multiple teams. Investigators visited the native village of the accused in Uttara Kannada district, the victim’s village, and locations in Bengaluru where the accused had stayed before tracing the source of the crude bombs.
The investigation revealed that the explosives had allegedly been procured from George Niklov Fernandes (64) of Chandavar village in Honnavar taluk of Uttara Kannada district. Joint teams from Tumakuru and Uttara Kannada arrested the accused during a coordinated operation on the night of June 29-30.
Police said the investigators also found that George had allegedly supplied crude bombs to three other local persons. A separate case has been registered at Ankola Police Station in this connection.
George reportedly fell ill during interrogation, and was admitted to a government hospital before being shifted to the district hospital for further treatment.
Police suspect him of manufacturing and selling crude bombs locally, allegedly for illegal fishing activities. Further investigation is underway.
Published – July 01, 2026 01:58 pm IST
