Mangaluru auto blast accused Shareeq’s home raided, bomb squad at site

Searches were conducted at the house of a man allegedly involved in an autorickshaw blast in Karnataka on Saturday. Shareeq, who was injured in the blast, is in hospital. Preliminary investigation indicates that he has terror links, the police said.

The blast took place at the communally charged coastal town of Mangaluru – 370 km from state capital Bengaluru — months ahead of the state elections.

The police said Shareeq, the passenger in the auto-rickshaw, was carrying a low-intensity Improvised Explosive device or IED. A burnt pressure cooker fitted with batteries was found inside the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that the bomb blast in Mangaluru on Saturday in an autorickshaw is suspected to be an act of terror. Talking to reporters in Bellary on Sunday, the Chief Minister said that an LED inside a pressure cooker exploded in Mangaluru, injuring the autorickshaw driver and a passenger. Both are undergoing treatment in a hospital and not in a position to speak. The cooker was found fitted with a detonator, wires and batteries. The Chief Minister further disclosed that the police have tracked the original address of the injured passenger and the locations he had stayed.

The passenger of the autorickshaw was found with a fake Aadhar card and is suspected to have visited several places in India including Coimbatore. He informed that the case has been referred to the National Investigation Agency. After a preliminary probe, the state police suspect that the injured passenger might have links with terror outfits. On whether the passenger has links with banned organisation PFI, the Chief Minister said that the investigating agencies are looking into the matter.