One person died, and another suffered serious injuries in a suspected crude bomb explosion near Panur in Kerala's Kannur district early on Friday, April 5, according to police reports.

The incident, which took place around 1 am, prompted allegations from the Opposition Congress, suggesting that the blast occurred during the manufacturing of homemade bombs.

Sherin, a resident of Kaivelikkal, passed away while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. The other injured person, Vineesh, lost one hand and is reportedly in critical condition, as per police sources. Both individuals were identified as supporters of the CPI(M) by the police.

Contrary to the police's assessment, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan stated that neither Sherin nor Vineesh had any affiliations with the party. He held that the party had distanced itself from the individuals involved.

VD Satheesan, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, held the ruling CPI(M) responsible for the incident, alleging that the party's workers were involved in producing homemade bombs, thereby exacerbating law and order issues during the elections.

Satheesan highlighted a similar incident that occurred in Thiruvananthapuram two days earlier, where two teenagers were seriously injured while allegedly manufacturing a country-made bomb. This incident left one with both hands severely injured and the other with partial damage to one hand, while two others accompanying them suffered minor injuries.

Authorities revealed that all four teenagers, aged between 17 and 18, had a history of criminal involvement in various cases, including theft, drug-related offenses under the NDPS Act, and violations of the Explosives Act.

Speaking to South First, Mannanthala Police Station's State House Officer (SHO) Biju KR mentioned that they were exploring potential motives behind the country bomb production, including whether it was targeted at specific individuals or law enforcement personnel.

The police collected evidence from the blast site on Thursday with the assistance of ballistic experts from the State Forensic Science Laboratory. They also mentioned that the teenagers had been sought in connection with a theft case, which could have led to their involvement in making the country bomb.

As investigations continue, authorities are working to ascertain the motives behind the incident and the roles of those involved, with plans to file a custody application for further interrogation.