Mangaluru blast: Accused 'inspired' by global terror outfit

Police found materials that go into making bomb from the rented house in Mysuru of Mangaluru autorickshaw blast accused Mohammed Shariq who was influenced and inspired by a global terrorist organisation a senior police officer said on MondayAdditional Director General of Police Law and Order Alok Kumar said the police are trying to find out the 24year olds links with people outside KarnatakaHis handler was Abdul Mateen Taha from Suddaguntepalya in Bengaluru on whom the National Investigation Agency has announced a reward of Rs five lakh the ADGP saidShariq was influenced and inspired by a terrorist organisation with global presence Kumar saidShariq hailing from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district was travelling in an autorickshaw with a pressure cooker fitted with detonator wires and batteries when it exploded on the outskirts of Mangaluru on SaturdayHe suffered burn injuries is currently being treated in a city hospital and unable to speakAlso read Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case to be handed over to NIA SourcesKarnataka police termed the explosion an act of terror with intention to cause serious damageThey are probing the incident along with central agenciesOur priority is to see that he survives we have to take him to a stage where we can question him Kumar saidWe found matchbox sulphur phosphorus batteries circuit and nut and bolts from the Shariqs rented house in Mysuru Mohan Kumar the owner of the house was not aware of these activities Kumar saidTaha was the main handler He along with Khwaja and Mohammed Pasha from Tamil Nadu were booked under the provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act at Suddaguntepalya in Bengaluru in 2020Apart from Taha Arafat Ali from Thirthahalli was also like his handler he addedSearch operations were carried out in seven locations including Mangaluru Shivamogga Mysuru and Thirthahalli the ADGP saidWe are trying to find out those who harboured him he addedShariq is being booked under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act police sources saidHe was also involved in painting objectionable graffiti in Mangaluru earlier and was later released on bailHis name had also earlier surfaced when a communal clash broke out over putting up the Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkars photo at a public place on August 15 in the district headquarters town of ShivamoggaThe vandals had gone on a rampage and stabbed Prem Singh a servant in a nearby shopIn this connection police arrested Mohammed Zabihulla alias Charbi Syed Yasin and Maaz Muneer Ahmed while Shariq abscondedYasin and Maaz had told police at the time that they were brainwashed by Shariq The group was planning to set up an Islamic State base in the country and wanted to establish a Caliphate in the countryA messaging services app came handy for Shariq to establish a link with the Syriabased Islamic State IS militants from whom they got a PDF to learn how to make a bomb a police officer from Shivamogga who investigated the case told PTIThis year the group prepared an improvised explosive device to carry out destruction and tested it on the banks of Tunga river Their next target was to carry out explosions in various parts of Karnataka the officer saidShariq had made the gang members into believing that the independence India got from the British was not a real one They need to struggle further to establish a Caliphate Only then India will get freedom the Shivamoggabased terror module members had told the investigating police team thenThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever