Mangaluru Blast: Two People Detained As Probe Gets Wider

The Karnataka Police has detained two people who were in touch with Mohammed Shariq, the accused in the Mangaluru blast.

The first to be picked up was a resident of KG Halli in Bengaluru. He has been handed over to the Mysuru Police for questioning.

The other is Surendran, a resident of Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, who has been brought to Karnataka. Shariq and Surendran had stayed in the same dormitory in Coimbatore and this is when Shariq is believed to have used Surendran's Aadhaar card to get a SIM card for himself.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Alok Kumar said that Shariq was under the influence of ISIS ideology.

Shariq’s handler was Abdul Mateen Taha from Suddaguntepalya (in Bengaluru) on whom the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a Rs 5 lakh reward.

While Taha was the main handler, Arafat Ali from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga was also like his handler.

Taha along with Khwaja and Mohammed Pasha from Tamil Nadu were booked under the provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Suddaguntepalya in Bengaluru in 2020, Kumar added.

The probe has now spread to Kerala and Assam. A 22-year-old man from Assam has been questioned for speaking to Shariq on the phone. He is believed to have met Shariq in Kanyakumari.

A team of Karnataka Police has also reached Ernakulam to probe any possible links to Kerala.

(With inputs from PTI)

Also Read: Mangaluru Blast: Annamalai Says Tamil Nadu Intelligence Department 'Hibernating' After Revelation That Accused Mohammed Shariq Stayed In Coimbatore