Bagalkot: A parked car exploded outside a wine shop in Hipparagi village of Bagalkot district on Saturday night, triggering panic in the area. No injuries were reported.Eyewitnesses said a high-end car had been parked near the wine shop around 4.30 pm and exploded later in the night. The impact of the blast blew off roof sheets of nearby houses, while several liquor bottles inside the shop crashed to the floor.Wine shop manager Hanumant Sangond said he had brought the car to the spot. “We suspect a boy who was standing near the vehicle. When questioned, he claimed that he too was injured. He is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jamkhandi,” Sangond said.Jamkhandi Rural police visited the spot and launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
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Authorities said further details would emerge after a detailed probe.yNo explosives found in the blast, technical fault suspected: SPBagalkot SP Siddharth Goyal said preliminary investigations into the car blast outside Yuvaraj Wine Store in Hipparagi village have not found any evidence of explosives, and a technical fault is among the possibilities being examined. “The car, owned by wine shop manager Hanumant Athani, was parked around 4.30pm, as seen in CCTV footage. It exploded around 10.45pm, and the impact overturned the vehicle,” Goyal said.He said teams comprising the DSP, CPI, PSI, scene-of-crime experts, technical specialists, anti-sabotage personnel, bomb disposal squad and dog squad rushed to the spot. “No explosives were found at the scene. CCTV footage shows that no one approached or tampered with the vehicle. A customer visited the area at around 9.45pm but left shortly thereafter,” he said.According to the SP, initial theories suggesting the presence of explosives or an air-conditioner blast have been ruled out. “The explosives dog squad also did not detect any traces of explosives. We are examining the possibility of a fuel-related blast and verifying all other angles,” he added.Athani had initially expressed suspicion about a person seen near the vehicle before the blast. However, police said the individual suffered minor injuries in the incident, was treated at a hospital and later discharged. “We have verified his role and found nothing suspicious so far,” Goyal said.
