Centre directs National Investigation Agency to investigate Mangaluru blast | Mangaluru News
“The case of blast — in a moving auto-rickshaw in which driver Purushothama K and passenger/accused Mohammed Shariq were injured — has been handed over to the NIA as per the provisions of the NIA Act 2008,” said Vipul Alok, under secretary to the government of India.
The central government has received information regarding registration of FIR dated November 20, 2022 under sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substance Act, 1908 and Sections 120B and 307 of the IPC at Kankanady town police station on the complaint of Puruthothama, autorickshaw driver relating to an explosion that took place at backside of his autorickshaw in Mangaluru city — the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district — when he was carrying an unknown passenger/accused from Kankanady railway station towards pumpwell.
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The complainant and the passenger/accused got severely injured and the auto-rickshaw got damaged.
From the place of occurrence, the local police recovered a 5-litre pressure cooker, three 9 volts batteries, one damaged circuit and other materials usually used for the preparation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
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During the course of investigation, the passenger/accused was identified as Shariq alias Prem Raj, son of Late Abdul Mazeed, Soppugudde, Thirthahalli of Shivamogga district.
In a raid conducted by local police at the rented hideout of Shariq in Mysuru, various chemical substances, electrical items and mechanical tools used for preparation of IEDs were recovered.
“The central government is of the opinion that a Scheduled Offence under the NIA Act, 2008 has been committed and having regard to the gravity of the offence and its repercussions on national security, it is required to be investigated by the NIA in accordance with the Act. Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred under sub-section (5) of section 6 read with section 8 of the NIA Act, 2008, the central government, hereby, directs the NIA to take up the investigation of the aforesaid case,” Vipul Alok said in the order dated November 23.
