A blast that occurred in an auto rickshaw in the Kankanadi police station area here on Saturday evening was “not accidental” but an “act of terror”, said the DGP Karnataka on Sunday.
“It’s confirmed now. The blast is not accidental but an act of terror with the intention to cause serious damage. Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies,” Tweeted DGP Karnataka.
Earlier on Saturday, at around 5 pm, an auto rickshaw caught fire due to a blast in the Kankanadi Police Station area. The reason behind the blast was a bag being carried by a passenger riding in the auto. The auto driver and passenger sustained burn injuries and have been admitted to the hospital.”
The blast took place at the communally charged coastal town of Mangaluru–370 km from state capital Bengaluru —months ahead of the state elections.
The police said Shareeq, the passenger in the auto-rickshaw, was carrying a low-intensity Improvised Explosive device or IED. A burnt pressure cooker fitted with batteries was found inside the vehicle.
Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said an IED exploded inside a pressure cooker in an auto rickshaw in Mangaluru on Saturday evening. “In the incident, the autorickshaw driver and a passenger were injured. Both of them are being treated in a hospital. The police have taken up this case seriously and started an investigation. It looks like IED-like equipment has been used in this incident.”
Bommai said that the man, who was travelling in the auto might have terror links, but more information will come out after the detailed investigation.
“All of you are aware of the blast in Mangaluru yesterday at 4.45 pm. Two including the auto driver and passenger are under treatment. The state police are investigating the matter and as per the primary information, it was because of an IED instrument,” Bommai said.
The CM said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other agencies have already visited the spot and taken up the probe.
“Since the injured are recuperating in hospital, more information will be procured from him. As this individual had visited several places including Coimbatore he may have links with terrorist groups. This information has been shared by police after a preliminary probe. Any links of this blast incident with the banned PFI will be known after a thorough investigation,” he said.
“Police are going through all the details of the person who had a duplicate Aadhaar card in which a Hubli address was also mentioned in it. More information also came out after his real address was investigated. NIA and other teams are here for further investigation. He is under treatment as his leg is injured. After he gains consciousness, more information will come out,” CM said. “As of now, police have got to know about his visits to different places that apparently show that it could be a terror attack and he had terror links. The truth will come out after a complete probe,” he further said. As the CM had visited Mangaluru yesterday just before the incident took place, Bommai said that the blast had nothing to do with his visit. “There is nothing to do with my yesterday’s visit to Mangalore. I finished the event and returned to Bengaluru by 3 pm,” he said.