Karnataka police expose global terror plot behind Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case

Karnataka ADG (Law and Order) Alok Kumar said Shariq, the injured passenger who was traveling in the ill-fated autorikshaw, was being handled by a handful of people belonging o terrorist groups including Mussavir Hussain and Arafat Ali.

"The immediate handler of Shariq was Arafat Ali, who is accused in two cases. He had links with Mussavir Hussain, an accused in the Al-Hind module case. The main handler of Shariq was Abdul Matin Taha. Another 2-3 handlers also worked with Shariq, but they are yet to be identified," he told reporters in a press conference here on Monday.

Shariq was planning more blasts in coastal cities of Karnataka, Kumar said.

The accused was given to ISIS ideology and made bomb at his home. On September 19, he, along with two others, carried out a trial blast at Tunga River bank in Shivamogga.

The police have also filed a case against Shariq for impersonation.

Kumar said Shariq was in possession of Aadhar cards belonging to three persons including one by name Prem Raj Hutagi who is a railways employee working as a gangman in Tumakuru.

"During the interrogation we found an Aadhar card in possession of Shariq with the name Prem Raj Hutagi engraved on it, but we found out that he was impersonating. The Aadhar card belongs to Prem Raj, a railways employee working as a gangman in Tumakuru," he said.

Shariq had another Aadhar card in the name of Arun Kumar Gawli, Kumar said, adding that the Mangaluru police have filed an impersonation case against him.

The police are going to enquire Surendran and another person from Gadag, on howse names Shariq had bought SIM cards, he said.

Kumar also said before coming to Mangaluru, Shariq was staying at Loknayak Nagar in Mysuru from September 20. He also visited Coimbatore, Kerala and Mysuru.

During the raid, the police found explosive material from Shariq's room in Mysuru. "Explosive material like phosphorus, sulphur, explosive material, nuts and bolts were recovered from his Mysuru room," Kumar said.

He also said that Shariq had conducted a recce of the city to conduct blasts and had arrived in Mangaluru a week ago.

Kumar said the police are also looking at the finance angle pertaining to the case, and also looking at the possible link between Mangaluru blast and Coimbatore blast case. "As of now, there is no such link but the police have take note of it and will work on it. If we find any link we will make it public," he said.

All the digital evidence is also being extracted by the FSL team, Kumar said.

Meanwhile, the auto driver who also sustained injury, said in his FIR that he has no connection with the case. He also said that Shariq was unknown to him.

The driver said the passenger was carrying a black bag and the autorickshaw blew off at Rohan building in front of a bus stop on his way to Pumpwell area.

Throwing more light on it, Kumar said Shariq was carrying the bag having a cooker bomb that exploded causing burn injuries to him and the driver, who has been identified as Purshottam Pujari.

Shariq is a resident of Tirthalli, and is accused in three cases - two in Mangaluru city and one in Shivamogga police station, he said.

(With UNI inputs)