Basavaraj Kattimani
BAGALKOT: A 37-year-old woman lost both her hands recently when a hair dryer she was holding exploded in Ilkal in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district. She is recovering at a hospital. Police said the victim has been identified as Basavarajeswari Yarnal, wife of ex-armyman Papanna Yaranal who died due to an electrical short circuit in Jammu & Kashmir in 2017.
The hair dryer was couriered to one of her neighbours who asked her to collect it. Police said the hair dryer could have exploded due to a short circuit.
The victim’s brother-in-law Shivangowda Yarnal told TOI a courier parcel was booked in the name of Shashikala, a neighbour of Basavarajeswari. When the delivery person called Shashikala, she said she was out of town and requested him to hand it over to Basavarajeswari. Basavarajeswari collected the parcel and Shashikala asked her to check what was in the package. Basavarajeswari found a hair dryer and plugged it into a power socket. As soon as she turned the hair dryer on, it exploded in her hands, Shivangowda said.
But Shashikala claimed she hadn’t ordered anything online. Bagalkot SP Amarnath Reddy said a case was filed at Ilkal police station and investigation was underway to determine who had ordered the device and from where was it dispatched.