Mangaluru blast: Photo of accused Shariq holding ‘cooker bomb’, posing in ISIS-style surfaces

A day after Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the Mangaluru blast accused has terror links, an image of accused Mohammed Shariq posing with a ‘cooker bomb’ has surfaced online.

In the image, Shariq can be seen holding a cooker with circuit wires in an ‘Islamic State style’. Intelligence sources have told India Today that Shariq was radicalised and managed all fake Aadhar cards by “different means and sources”.

According to sources, Shariq was going to plant the bomb when it exploded inside the autorickshaw he was traveling in on Saturday. Shariq and the auto driver were injured in the blast.

The Karnataka Police said that Shariq visited Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, the place where a similar blast took place outside a temple, and used fake IDs during his stay.

Besides, Shariq had planned more bombing and most of the materials were ready at his place. The intelligence agencies had recovered explosives, one mobile phone, two fake Aadhaar cards, one PAN, debit card and an unused SIM from his rented house in Mysore on Sunday.

MANGALURU BLAST

The blast occurred on Saturday evening inside an autorickshaw, near a police station, leaving Mohammed Shariq, the passenger, and the driver injured. Both have been admitted to hospital.

According to police, a cooker fitted with a detonator, wires and batteries were used to trigger the blast. After the explosion, the interiors of the autorickshaw were badly damaged.

“Prima facie, this is a terror act. The places he had travelled to such as Coimbatore or any other places clearly point to his terror link,” CM Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday.

He added that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials have also joined the state police in investigating the matter. A four-member team of the NIA has arrived at the spot and are coordinating with the police.

Recently, a few terror suspects were arrested from Shivamogga, including some youth who were in touch with the terror outfit Islamic State (IS) through social media.