Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident in Dindori district, news agency AFP reported.
The deceased was identified as Rajendra Barautiya. He was sitting with his family around a bonfire on Tuesday when a fellow villager allegedly handed him what was presented as a rasgulla.
According to police, the explosive device was concealed inside the sweet and was intended to be used to kill wild boars.
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The explosion caused severe injuries to his mouth and jaw. He was rushed to hospital but died a few hours later.
Some rural communities use homemade explosive devices to kill wild boars. These are made by packing balls of dough with gunpowder, often sourced from firecrackers or quarries. The devices resemble rasgullas, which are soft, round sweets traditionally soaked in sugar syrup and eaten whole.
"We don't know if the motive was to kill, or if it was a mischief. That is a matter of investigation," she added.
The case has been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act.
Police are investigating how the accused obtained the explosive device, the circumstances under which it came into his possession and whether another person was involved in procuring or supplying it.
The motive behind the incident is also being probed.
