2 min readBengaluruUpdated: Jun 28, 2026 12:01 PM IST
The Karnataka Police have started a probe into Friday’s car explosion on National Highway-48 in Tumakuru district, wherein one person died, and two people, including a woman, were injured.
The dead has been identified as Nagendra, 30, a native of Ankola who was living in Bengaluru. The injured are Ramya, an operation theatre technician at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Bengaluru, and Praveen, the driver of the cab. Both are currently admitted to the Tumakuru District Hospital for treatment.
The police said bomb-like material was recovered from the burnt vehicle and has been sent for forensic examination.
According to the police, the three were travelling in a cab from Bengaluru towards Ankola when the vehicle caught fire following an explosion.
Investigators said Nagendra and Ramya were reportedly in a relationship but had fallen out recently. On Friday morning, Nagendra allegedly went to Ramya’s rented accommodation in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar, got into a quarrel with her, and forcibly took her in the cab.
The police said the driver told them that Nagendra allegedly threatened to kill Ramya and reportedly showed her what appeared to be a petrol bomb during the journey. Near Jogihalli, he allegedly attacked Ramya with a knife inside the moving vehicle. The cab driver then stopped the vehicle, enabling Ramya to escape. Moments later, the vehicle exploded and was engulfed in flames, killing Nagendra on the spot.
The explosion led to a traffic pile-up stretching over a kilometre on the highway.
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“A kidnapping case had already been registered based on the woman’s parents’ complaint. We have recovered explosive material from the vehicle, and forensic experts are examining it. The exact cause of the explosion and the sequence of events are being investigated,” a senior police officer said.
