Mangaluru autorickshaw blast suspect Mohammed Shariq may have been radicalised by the ISIS and had several fake Aadhaar cards in his possession, top intelligence sources told News18.
Sources alleged that Shariq was not a suicide bomber but was going to plant the bomb in a different place when it exploded in the three-wheeler. The suspect, who is undergoing treatment for severe burns sustained in the blast, is currently not in a position to be questioned.
Sources also alleged that he had planned more blasts and most of the material was ready at his place.
According to preliminary investigation, Shariq was earlier booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for objectionable graffiti on the walls of Mangaluru.
It was only after the police realised that the Aadhaar card recovered from the injured passenger following the blast belonged to another person that they intensified their investigation.
Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood said revealed on Sunday that the explosion inside a moving autorickshaw near a police station in Mangaluru was triggered by explosives concealed in a cooker. He described it is an “act of terror intended to cause damage”.
The suspect, who was the passenger in that vehicle had terror links, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said and added that sleuths from the National Investigation Agency and Intelligence Bureau have joined the Karnataka police in investigation. According to preliminary probe, it appeared to be a low intensity improvised explosive device and further investigation would bring out more details, Bommai told reporters.
The chances of a Tamil Nadu link also surfaced as it has now emerged that the suspect was in possession of two fake Aadhaar cards, one with an address from TN, and another with a Hubballi address. According to police sources, an explosives laden cooker, fitted with a detonator, wires and batteries were used to trigger the blast and mangled pieces of these have been recovered from the spot.
After the explosion near a police station in Mangaluru, the driver and passenger (suspect) were injured and the autorickshaw’s interior portion was badly damaged. Special police teams have fanned out to places including Coimbatore as part of the investigation. The suspect had used a mobile phone that had a SIM card obtained using the Tamil Nadu address, sources said.
In a tweet, the DGP said: “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.”
The TN police, in the meanwhile, questioned a 40-year-old man in a village near Ooty as the SIM card used by the accused is suspected to have been bought using his Aadhaar card. He was being taken to Coimbatore for interrogation, the police said.
With agency inputs
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