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NIA takes over investigation of Mangaluru cooker blast case

Speaking to ANI on Thursday, N Shashikumar, Mangaluru Police Commissioner said, the case which was with Mangaluru City police will be investigated by NIA.

ANI | NEW DELHI | December 2, 2022 9:47 am

NIA takes over investigation of Mangaluru cooker blast case

Representational Image [Image source IANS]

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into the November 19 pressure cooker blast in an autorickshaw in Mangaluru wherein a passenger, identified as Mohammed Shariq, was carrying a pressure cooker bomb made from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

The anti-terror agency took over the case this week soon after the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs handed over the investigation to it considering a terror plot behind the act. Speaking to ANI on Thursday, N Shashikumar, Mangaluru Police Commissioner said, the case which was with Mangaluru City police will be investigated by NIA.

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“On Wednesday doctor certified that the accused is now fit to be questioned. So our investigating officer and their team questioned him on certain inputs, which were to be taken up in the investigation. We received instructions from our chief office that the case is being transferred to NIA and we have finished the formalities. They are taking up the case for further investigation. Henceforth, the case which was with Mangaluru City police will be investigated by NIA,” said Shashikumar on Thursday.

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The auto-rickshaw exploded leading to injuries to both the passenger, Mohammed Shariq, who was carrying a pressure cooker bomb made IED and the autorickshaw driver Purushottam Poojari. The cooker bomb was designed to carry out a large-scale attack to fuel communal tensions in the coastal region and in the state.

Shariq was en-route to a pre-decided location for carrying out the blast when the explosion took place. The Forensic Science Laboratory Division (FSL) team reached the house rented by Shariq in Mysore the next day and recovered materials used to make explosives.

The NIA has started its investigation under the provision of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and investigating officers have started questioning the main accused Shariq as the state police have found his links with the Islamic State (IS) in its investigation, and he had radicalised his schoolmates, Syed Yasin and Muneer Ahmed, and introduced them to IS as well.

Together, the three of them had experimented and rehearsed the explosion on the banks of the Tunga river in the Shivamogga district. The practice explosion was also reportedly successful. According to sources, the main accused, Shariq, had a handler who was orchestrating and instructing him regarding all these activities.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra earlier this month had sent a request to the MHA to hand over the case to NIA.

The state police probe has also revealed that the conspiracy was hatched to carry out blasts and put the blame on Hindu organisations and to reignite a debate on ‘Hindu terrorism’ in the country.

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The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010. A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice P V Balakrishnan suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail to him after considering his appeal against the NIA court’s conviction in the case Considering the prolonged detention and citing the potential for trial delays, the court suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail, taking into account that some co-accused with similar allegations had already been released after serving shorter terms. The court noted that he had already spent nine years in jail and that delays in resolving appeals could justify suspending a convict’s prison term. It also observed that other accused in the case had received lesser sentences and had already been released after serving their terms. “The applicant has been undergoing incarceration, at the pre-conviction and post-conviction phases, for over 9 years. Furthermore, the fact that the accused facing the same allegations were earlier imposed a lesser term of imprisonment and have been released after having undergone the sentence is a factor that cannot be ignored. Additionally, the appeals filed by the NIA against the findings of the learned Sessions Judge are being considered in separate appeals, which have not yet been taken up. “There is also the likelihood of delay, as the prime accused has surrendered, and the learned Sessions Judge may have to take up the trial and dispose of it in accordance with the law and some of the original records may be required for that purpose. In view of these facts and circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that the sentence imposed on the applicant can be suspended pending the consideration of the appeal.” The court said The court, however, imposed strict conditions for Nasar’s bail. He is not supposed to provide a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties, refrain from leaving the country without the court’s permission, avoid interfering with the trial or witnesses, and not commit similar offences while on bail The gruesome incident dates back to July 4, 2010, when Joseph, a professor at Newman College, Thodupuzha, was returning from Sunday mass with his family, members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) attacked him, allegedly in retaliation for a question paper he set, which contained a passage that they claimed insulted Prophet Mohammed was derogatory. His right hand was chopped off in this attack. Nasar was accused of playing a critical role in the attack. Investigations revealed his involvement in recruiting gang members, assigning specific tasks, collecting funds, procuring communication devices, and maintaining communication links with key conspirators.

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010.