Probe reveals man died in blast plotting to kill lover’s hubby
Times of India | 20 August 2025
Kolkata: The Uttar Pradesh resident who died in an explosion in Madhyamgram in the early hours of Monday had planned to use the improvised explosive device (IED) to kill his paramour's husband, investigators said on Tuesday,Police said the deceased Sachidananda Mishra (26), a ITI-trained fitter from Basti district in UP, assembled the device himself in the form of a pen-like electronic gadget. However, it went off accidentally near Madhyamgram Boys' High School, close to the railway station, around midnight on Sunday, killing him instantly.
The spot is close to Debinagar, where Mishra's lover Lilima Ekka lives. Lilima and her husband have been detained for interrogation.
Investigators said Mishra had got acquainted with Lilima, a homemaker from Madhyamgram'' Debinagar, on social media about 18 months ago. The acquaintance developed into an extramarital affair. Police said Mishra had visited her rented house in Madhyamgram earlier and even stayed overnight while her husband was away at work. The relationship eventually came to light, leading to marital discord. "It is suspected that Mishra then hatched a plot to eliminate the woman's husband," said an investigating officer.
Gobinda Chowdhury, the house owner, said, "I have seen the young man visiting the house several times. The homemaker introduced him as a relative.
"Investigators suspect that Mishra travelled from Varanasi to Kolkata by train carrying explosives in his bag, possibly taking a less scrutinised route to avoid detection. He reportedly stayed in Kolkata on Saturday, Aug 16, before heading to Madhyamgram on Sunday night.
With Independence Day security already on high alert, police are probing how Mishra managed to transport explosives undetected. Forensic experts have confirmed that the blast was triggered by a low-intensity IED. Fragments of a steel container, batteries, wires, and traces of ammonium nitrate were recovered from the spot. Officers believe Mishra, leveraging his training as an ITI fitter and his experience at a Haryana glass factory where chemicals were accessible, put together the device after watching multiple YouTube tutorials on bomb-making.
Sources said he opted for a low-intensity device since his alleged target was a single individual. However, the device exploded prematurely, possibly due to faulty wiring.
Police said Mishra, grievously injured in the blast, identified himself before succumbing to his injuries. His identity was later confirmed through his mobile phone and by his father, Ashwinikumar Mishra, who rushed to Madhyamgram from Basti, UP on Tuesday morning. "My son told me he was going to Varanasi. I had no idea about his relationship with any woman or that he came here. I can't understand how such a tragedy happened," the grieving father said.