Karnataka govt has taken the blast incident in Mangaluru seriously: CM Bommai

PTI, Nov 22, 2022, 6:46 PM IST

Image Courtesy: screengrab from Twitter/Basavaraj Bommai

Chitradurga/Mangaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said the state government has taken a serious note of the Mangaluru blast case.

He also said the Karnataka police are alert and have so far busted 18 terror sleeper cells in the state over a period of time.

“We have taken it (Mangaluru blast case) seriously keeping in view the national security,” Bommai told reporters.

He said that some people having connections with other states are conducting their (terror-related) activities in Karnataka. The police have arrested those from other states as well, he added.

“You should know that the Karnataka police has busted 18 terror sleeper cell and sent them to jail. Yet they are making attempts,” Bommai said.

“The NIA has initiated measures to bust the terror organisation, be it international or national, which is behind him (Mangaluru blast accused Mohammed Shariq),” he added

Meanwhile, police got the photograph of the iconic Shiva statue at Coimbatore of the Isha Foundation from the blast accused.

Mangaluru police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar said: “We are yet to interrogate him (Shariq). Whatever information we have got through various other evidences, we are continuing our investigation.” When asked whether Shariq and his accomplices had visited Isha Foundation when he was in Coimbatore, he said “the investigating officer is probing that aspect.” Police found materials that go into making bomb from the rented house in Mysuru of Shariq, who was “influenced and inspired” by a global terrorist organisation.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Alok Kumar said the police are trying to find out the 24-year-old’s links with people outside Karnataka.

Shariq, hailing from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district, was travelling in an autorickshaw with a pressure cooker fitted with detonator, wires and batteries, when it exploded on the outskirts of Mangaluru on Saturday.

He suffered burn injuries, is currently being treated in a city hospital and unable to speak.

The Karnataka police termed the explosion “an act of terror” with intention to cause serioud damage.

They are probing the incident along with central agencies.

“…Our priority is to see that he survives, we have to take him to a stage where we can question him”, Kumar said on Monday.