- Tuesday, April 29, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Alok Kumar, the additional director general of police (ADGP) of the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Monday (21) said the accused in the Mangaluru auto-rickshaw explosion case, had earlier been involved in cases under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and was on the run.
The blast happened in the three-wheeler in the Kankanadi police station area in Mangaluru around 5 pm local time on Saturday (19).
This is Mohammed Shariq, accused in Mangaluru autorickshaw blast.
Internal sources have confirmed that he is virgin & depressed due to continuous rejection by women on earth.
A Maulvi advised him to aim higher & go for 72 hoors in Jannat.
But, Shariq failed at this attempt too pic.twitter.com/hGKXSK2TQe
— Incognito X (@Incognito_jkl) November 21, 2022
He also said that the accused had links with a terrorist organisation which is having a global presence.
“We can say that the accused acts have been inspired and influenced by some terrorist organisation which is having a global presence. So, it is due to that,” the ADGP was quoted as saying by Asian News International.
“A passenger was carrying a bag that had a cooker bomb. It exploded, causing burn injuries to the passenger and driver of the auto. The identity of the auto driver as Purshottam Pujari and the passenger as Sharik has been confirmed,” Kumar said addressing a media gathering in Mangaluru after he displayed all the material recovered from the residence of the accused.
“The accused is already an accused in three cases– two in Mangaluru city and one in Shivamogga. He was booked under UAPA (The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act) 2008) in two cases and was ‘wanted’ in the third one. He was on the run for a long time,” the ADGP added.
The top police officer also reiterated that the accused was carrying a fake Aadhar card (a document of identity in India) in the name of a “public servant”.
Following the investigation, the police raided the premises of Sharik in Lokanayaka Nagar in Mysuru in Karnataka. They recovered a number of explosive materials including sulphur, phosphorus, matchboxes, nuts and bolts and circuits.
“We have come to know the sources of it because some of them were bought online and others offline, so we are working on it,” the ADGP said, mentioning that two other accused persons are absconding, as of now, who have been handling the case with Sharik.
He further added that Sharik is in touch with three other persons whose identity is yet to be identified and for that, police have formed a total of five teams to probe the matter and nab the network.
“Sharik’s immediate handler was Arafat Ali, accused in two cases. He was in touch with Mussavir Hussain, an accused in the Al-Hind module case; Abdul Matin Taha was one of the accused, as per our information so far he is the main handler of Sharik. But Sharik is also in touch with two or three others who are yet to be identified,” he said.
“We have searched seven places and have seized electronic devices whose content is being looked into,” he added while informing that the police will also inquire about all the persons in whose names the sim cards recovered from Sharik were registered.
“We are going to check even if remote persons have any contacts with him or if there are some persons who are financially supporting him and giving him background support. We can say that his acts have been inspired and influenced by some terrorist organisation with a global presence,” Kumar said.
Sharik has been admitted to the Father Muller Hospital in Karnataka’s Mangaluru after he sustained 40-45 per cent burn injuries due to a low-intensity blast.
The auto driver and the passenger sustained burn injuries and have been admitted to the hospital, the Mangaluru city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said on Saturday.
Kumar visited the spot on Sunday (20) and said that the bomb was implanted with an aim to disrupt harmony in the area.
[With ANI inputs]
