NIA to soon take up Mangaluru blast case

Mangaluru, Nov 21: The National Investigation Agency is expected to take over the case of Mangaluru auto rickshaw explosion which is now being treated as a case of terror. The anti-terror investigation agency will file the case this week, sources told Oneindia.

The cops have arrested the prime suspect Mohammed Shariq and are establishing his connection with others. He is currently admitted at Father's Muller hospital in Mangaluru.

Family Members Under Scanner

On Monday, a few family members paid a visit to the hospital. "If they establish that this is the same person whom we are suspecting then the family members will also be interrogated. One male and three female family members visited him. Probe underway," ANI quoted N Sashi Kumar, Commissioner of Police, in a tweet.

A moving autorickshaw exploded on Saturday evening, causing fire and heavy smoke, and the driver and a passenger were among those who sustained burn injuries. The cops and central agencies immediately flung into action and arrested the prime accused.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that Shariq boarded the auto rickshaw that was coming from the Mangalore Railway Junction.

Shariq had rented a room in Lokanayakanagar in Mysuru, the cops said. He stayed in the said place as 'Premraj' and told the house owner that he was in the city for "mobile repair training".

Police have raided his rented home and a bomb squad has been deployed for a combing operation in the area. The accused has previously been booked under the UAPA and was absconding in a terror case.

An amazon purchase and a fake SIM

Meanwhile, it is reported that the accused had received a consignment via Amazon, according to The Hindu. The investigators tracked his call records that revealed that he had received the consignment during his stay in Kerala. The cops are now trying to access the content that he ordered from the e-commerce portal.

One person from Tamil Nadu has been detained by the cops in Nilgiris district and he has links with the accused. Interrogation is being carried out to know whether he had helped Shariq to buy the SIM card or the accused used the number without his knowledge.

On the other hand, a state-wide alert has been issued along with special security instructions towards crowded locations in Karnataka. The police notified that security should be heightened at airports, railway stations, markets, bus stands and tourist destinations among other places.