Belagavi: In a tragic incident, a teenager in the Belagavi district was killed when a crude bomb meant for wild boars exploded.
The victim has been identified as 17-year-old Girish Rajput.
He and Shivakumara Gajendra Rajput (28), both members of the Hakki-Pikki community, reportedly travelled from Shivamogga to Belagavi to hunt wild boars. The latter was riding a bike and Girish was riding pillion, when they met with an accident in Khanapur’s Machimada village.
Shivakumara and Girish were, according to the Khanapur Police, navigating a narrow path that was leading to the forest close to the village. Owing to a bend in the road, they did not see a tractor arriving from the opposite direction and the two vehicles collided. The impact caused Girish to be thrown off the bike and he was run over by the tractor.
The ball-like explosive material that Girish was carrying a bag, exploded due to the pressure of being run over by the tractor, ripping his body apart.
The explosion resulted in Shivakumara and the tractor driver sustaining minor injuries. The Forest Department and the police officials were alerted by the locals who heard the explosion.
According to Belagavi SP Laxman Nimbargi, members of the Hakki-Pikki community hunt for wild boars often and people from Shivamogga come to Belagavi and often use explosives to hunt.
