Mangaluru blast: Mechanical engineering student detained by NIA

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team comprising seven members on Thursday detained a student of mechanical engineering college in Mangaluru in connection with the cooker blast on November 19, authorities of the institution told the media.

An NIA official suspects the student had a close link with the blast accused Mohammed Shariq, aged 24.

Also Read: Mangaluru blast: Bomb-making materials found at accused’s rented house

“The NIA officials came this morning, saying they want to question a student in connection with the blast,” a college staff told PTI. He added that the seventh semester student is studying mechanical engineering in the college.

”We are ashamed of this development,” the staff said.

Inspired by terror

Mohammed Shariq sustained severe burn injuries in the blast on November 19 when he was travelling in an autorickshaw. The vehicle driver also sustained injuries in the explosion.

Presently, Shariq is under treatment in a government hospital in Bengaluru. Shariq and his accomplices were allegedly inspired by the terror outfit Islamic State and were in touch with it through telegram messaging application.

Also Read: Police raid Mangaluru blast accused Shareeq’s house

Police also said their handlers outside India had even sent a document to guide them in making a bomb.

Using the document, they made a bomb and carried out a trial on the banks of Tunga river near Shivamogga. Police had said there was a planned to unleash large-scale destruction across Karnataka.

Also Read: Major terror organisations may be behind Mangaluru blast: State home minister

Due to violence on August 15 last year over the Hindutva ideologue V Savarkar in Shivamogga, the police busted an IS-inspired terror module, but Shariq had given the police the slip.