People witnessed a blast in an auto-rickshaw in Mangaluru, Karnataka’s coastal town, under strange circumstances on Saturday, November 19. Soon after, Karnataka’s DGP took to Twitter to declare that the explosion was not an accident, but an ‘act of terror.’
Several hours after the event, it was discovered that the pressure cooker the auto-rickshaw passenger was carrying contained an improvised explosive device (IED) that had exploded. The suspect, identified on November 20 by Karnataka police, was previously detained in accordance with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He is now being treated in a hospital.
Karnataka | Family of Mangaluru autorickshaw blast accused, Sharik arrives at Father Muller Hospital in Mangaluru where he is admitted. pic.twitter.com/3EU73mnckZ
— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2022
When questioned by authorities, the auto-rickshaw driver said that the passenger had something in his luggage that caught fire and spread throughout the vehicle. Further investigation revealed a terror plot, and from the residence of the main suspect, authorities seized explosive material as well as several fake identity cards. Here is a timeline of events that unfolded.
Blast in autorickshaw
On Saturday, a driving auto rickshaw burst in Mangaluru, creating fire and thick smoke, and the driver and a passenger were among those injured by burns.
The passenger had boarded an auto rickshaw at Naguri from the Mangalore Railway Junction area. Following the explosion, a cooker was retrieved from the site. Following the explosion, state police increased security at airports, train stations, marketplaces, bus stops, and tourist attractions, among other places.
DGP reveals blast an ‘act of terror’
Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood announced on Sunday, a day after the explosion in Mangaluru, that the blast was an act of terror and that a detailed investigation into the occurrence was ongoing.
In a tweet, the DGP stated, “It’s confirmed now. The blast is not accidental but an act of terror with intention to cause serious damage. Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies.” A bomb disposal squad and a dog squad were summoned to the explosion scene, as was a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials.
Suspect identified as Shariq
The suspect was identified by Karnataka police on November 20, 2022. The suspect’s name was revealed to be Mohammed Shariq, who had previously been detained under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
It is worth noting that Mohammed Shariq was previously prosecuted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for graffiti on Mangaluru’s walls. In this case, he was given bail. In addition, investigators were looking for him in another terror investigation.
Maaz Muneer Ahmad (22) of Mangaluru and Syed Yasin (21) were detained in September for suspected connections to the proscribed terrorist organisation Islamic State. In the same case, Mohammad Shariq was also a suspect and he was on the run from the police.
Incriminating material recovered from Shariq’s house
The Forensic Science Laboratory Division (FSL) team arrived at Shariq’s rented house in Mysore on Sunday as the inquiry into the Mangaluru bomb case proceeded. The squad seized explosive-making ingredients from Shariq’s home.
Gelatin powder, circuit boards, tiny bolts, batteries, mobile phones, wood power, aluminium multimeters, cables, mixing jars, pressure cookers, and other components required to build explosives were found by the FSL team. One mobile phone, two fake Aadhaar cards, one fake pan card, and one FINO debit card were also discovered by the forensic experts. The accused is alleged to have been assembling explosive devices at his home.
The suspect was paying Rs 1,800 per month for a single room, according to the house owner from Mysore. He presented a copy of the rental agreement, which showed the suspect’s name as Premraj, S/o Sri Maruthi, and his address as Hubballi.
Coimbatore blast connection
On October 23, a 25-year-old man died in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, when an LPG cylinder in a car exploded in the communally sensitive Kottaimedu district. Notably, the occurrence was initially assumed to be a simple cylinder blast case, but a terror aspect later emerged, and the case was turned over to the NIA. Jamesha Mubin, a native of Kottaipudur, near GM Nagar in Ukkadam, was killed in the Coimbatore blast.
It was earlier reported how Jamesha Mubin and his accomplices planned the Easter blast in Sri Lanka-style bombings and how they are allegedly linked to the Islamic State and the mastermind of 1998 serial blasts in the city.
As of now, Karnataka ADGP Alok Kumar has stated that a connection to the Coimbatore bomb cannot be proved. According to reports, though, the suspect in the Mangaluru bomb case had also visited Coimbatore among other locations.
