MANGALURU: The Mangaluru City Police have established the identity of a passenger/ suspect, who was travelling in an autorickshaw with a cooker bomb that exploded near Nagori on Saturday.
Mohammed Shariq, 24, from Thirthahalli is currently being treated at a private hospital after a low-intensity blast was reported in a moving autorickshaw leaving him and the driver injured. With his relatives arriving in the city on Monday and based on his mobile phone that the police seized, the police have confirmed his identity.
ADGP (Law and Order) Alok Kumar told reporters here on Monday that “The acts have been influenced and inspired by terrorist organizations that have a global presence. The accused has three cases booked against him at Mangaluru North police station, Mangaluru East police station and Shivamogga Rural Police Station.”
The cases include pro-terror graffiti cases booked against him in Mangaluru East Police Station and Mangaluru North Police station on November 27 and 28, 2020, in which he was arrested and released on bail. He was the prime accused in a case booked at the Shivamogga Rural police Station booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 on September 19. As soon as the case was registered, he went underground and shifted to Mysuru where stayed in a rented house. On November 19, he left Mysuru, and travelled via Hunsur, Madikeri, Puttur, BC Road. He alighted from the bus on the outskirts of Mangaluru and then sat in an autorickshaw to travel to Pumpwell.
The Mysuru police conducted a raid at the house he was staying on rent and seized sulphur, phosphorous, nut and bolts, circuits, multifunction delay timer, grinder mixer, 150 matchboxes, battery, mechanical timer, Aadhar card, aluminium file, sim card, toy gun which looked like AK47, and chemicals used to prepare explosives. Once the accused recovers, he will be taken into custody for further interrogation, Kumar said.
From the investigation conducted so far, and after examining the spot where the explosion took place as well as collecting data related to the case, the accused will be booked under the UAPA Act as well as impersonation and forging of Aadhaar card details. The Mangaluru City police team is conducting searches across the state and outside with the support of Shivamogga police and Mysuru City police teams along with the teams from the central agencies.
So far the police have conducted searches at seven places across the State, including four places in Shivamogga, two places in Mysuru and one place in Mangaluru and have detained four persons, for questioning, including one from Ooty. Five teams, including two operational teams, an interrogation team, investigation, digital forensic and CDR analysis teams have been formed. During the search operations, they seized digital evidence, and electronic devices, and are verifying the bank accounts of various individuals, explained ADGP.
Based on the complaint filed by the autorickshaw driver Purushotham, a case has been booked under Section 120 (b) and 307 IPC along with the Explosive Substances Act at the Kankanady Town Police Station.
