Mangaluru blast accused stayed in Madurai using fake IDs before blast

The team investigating the Mangaluru blast case has revealed that the accused had stayed in Madurai using fake IDs before the blast.

Suspicious explosive materials were found inside a cooker that was carried by a passenger inside the autorickshaw (Photo: India Today)

By Pramod Madhav: The accused in the Mangaluru auto rickshaw blast, 24-year-old Mohammed Shariq, was staying in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai using fake IDs. The team investigating the case has received the information. Karnataka’s investigation team visited Madurai on the basis of information received from the phone of the accused, in which Shariq was allegedly found to be living in the city for several days.

As many as 10 members of the special team probing the Mangaluru blast case visited Netaji Road in Madurai, where there are about 50 lodges and hotels.

Shariq’s cellphone signal was registered in a hotel on Netaji Road in the first week of November and he stayed for about 15 days. The team checked auto rickshaw stands and verified guest lists in several lodges. Sources said that Shariq had used a fake ID of a tea seller to stay in the city.

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Amidst this, former minister and AIADMK leader Jayakumar stated that NIA should find out if there was any connection between the Mangaluru blast and the Coimbatore blast. He said this when asked about politicians from Karnataka raising doubts.

“If there is a connection or not, it should be found out by the NIA. Being DMK, we have doubts. It was the only government that was dissolved for supporting terrorism. That shouldn’t happen this time. NIA should consider all these aspects,” stated Jayakumar.