Major terror organisations may be behind Mangaluru blast: State home minister
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Sunday said “there might be major terrorist organisations” behind Saturday’s autorickshaw blast in Mangaluru and that the state police and central security forces are investigating it.
Jnanendra’s statement came soon after the state Director General of Police (DGP) confirmed that the auto-rickshaw blast was not an accident but “an act of terror.”
“It is confirmed now. The blast is not accidental but an ACT OF TERROR with intention to cause damage. Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies,” DGP Praveen Sood tweeted on Sunday.
It’s confirmed now. The blast is not accidental but an ACT OF TERROR with intention to cause serious damage. Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies. https://t.co/lmalCyq5F3
— DGP KARNATAKA (@DgpKarnataka) November 20, 2022
Karavali region under lens
Jnanendra said in a video statement, “Yesterday afternoon in Mangaluru, a blast was reported in a moving autorickshaw. The driver who was injured in this incident is undergoing treatment and he is not in a position to speak now. After the investigation, the Karnataka Police confirmed it as an act of terror.”
“Behind the blast, there might be major terrorist organisations. All the details will come out in a day or two,” he assured people.
The home minister added that such incidents are often reported from the Karavali region. “In the last few years, the Karavali region has seen many similar incidents, and the investigation is initiated in that angle as well. The truth will be revealed soon,” he added.
ಈ ಸ್ಫೋಟದ ಹಿಂದೆ ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದಕ ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆಗಳ ಲಿಂಕ್ ಇರುವುದು ಕಂಡು ಬಂದಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಪೊಲೀಸರು ಶೀಘ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕರಣವನ್ನು ಭೇದಿಸಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ.@DgpKarnataka pic.twitter.com/esbD9spHzD
— Araga Jnanendra (@JnanendraAraga) November 20, 2022
Reports of pressure cooker in auto
A report by NDTV said that police have recovered a burnt pressure cooker with batteries inside it and suspect the passenger to be the main perpetrator of the blast.
Police said the Aadhaar card of another person was recovered from the passenger’s person, raising suspicion that he was planning to target something.
“The passenger was carrying an Aadhaar card which was later found to be of a man from Hubbali. The photo on the Aadhaar card looked like his, but it’s not his. This gives us a fair idea that he was planning to target something, but we are not sure about his target,” NDTV quoted Sood as saying.
Coimbatore link?
Sood said the police were also not ruling out a possible connect of the blast with that in Coimbatore.
“He is from Karnataka and had travelled outside the state in the last few months. He had recently travelled to Coimbatore and parts of Tamil Nadu. It was a low-intensity bomb. He was headed somewhere. Not sure what was his modus-operandi,” Sood told NDTV.
Watch: Coimbatore car blast: NIA raids 45 locations across Tamil Nadu
A day before Diwali, an LPG cylinder exploded in a car near the Kottai Eswaran Temple in Coimbatore, killing its only occupant. Later, over 75 kg of potassium nitrate, aluminium powder, sulphur, and charcoal—ingredients required to make bomb—were found in the house of Jameesha Mubin, the car’s sole occupant who was killed in the explosion. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is now investigating the incident. Five of Mubin’s accomplices have been arrested.
Intel failure, says Siddaramaiah
Also on Sunday, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah condemned the Mangaluru blast as an “act of violence” and urged the state police to immediately arrest all those involved. The former chief minister claimed that the incident exposed the intelligence department’s failure.
“DGP has confirmed that the blast in Mangaluru is an act of terror. I strongly condemn this act of violence and strongly urge the police to immediately arrest those responsible for the act,” Siddaramaiah tweeted.
“The blast has exposed the failure of the intelligence department and the home minister should accept responsibility,” he added, urging people not to panic and give leads to the police about all suspected persons.
Also read: Coimbatore: Link between car cylinder explosion, 1998 serial blasts, Lanka Easter bombings
Police, too, have asked residents not to panic, assuring them that the case was being investigated.
Don’t spread rumours, cops urge people
“It is too early to jump to conclusions. The driver claimed he spotted the fire. They (driver and passenger) are undergoing treatment and are unable to speak now. We request the public not to spread rumours. They should remain calm and not panic. We will update once we speak to them,” Mangaluru police chief N Sasikumar had told the media.
On Saturday, the driver of the auto-rickshaw and a passenger were injured when the vehicle exploded while in motion. CCTV footage that captured the blast showed plumes of smoke billowing out of the vehicle.
Also read: Coimbatore blast case: Bomber’s target may have been a textile shop
Reports said the fire from the auto-rickshaw was seen around 5.15 pm. The driver and passenger were rushed to the hospital. The driver reportedly told the police that the vehicle caught fire suddenly.
According to reports, the source of the fire is being attributed to the contents of a plastic bag carried by a passenger in the auto-rickshaw. Police, however, are probing the matter and checking the contents of the bag.
(With agency inputs)
