The Karnataka Police have termed the blast that took place in an autorickshaw in Mangaluru Saturday as an ‘act of terror’. They added that a passenger, who got critically injured in the blast, is a suspect in the case. On Saturday, a moving auto-rickshaw exploded in Mangaluru causing fire and heavy smoke, and the driver and the passenger sustained burn injuries. Both the injured are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mangaluru. On Sunday morning, director general of police (DGP) Praveen Sood said, “It’s confirmed now. The blast is not accidental but an act of terror with the intention to cause serious damage. The Karnataka Police along with central agencies are probing the matter.” Police sources said the suspect has a criminal history and was previously arrested in a case of objectionable graffiti. The suspect was carrying the cooker that exploded on his lap and was also using a fake identity to stay in Mysuru, they added. The Aadhaar card of one Premraj Hutagi, a native of Hubballi, was reportedly used by the suspect to rent a room. Upon investigation, it was found that Hutagi is a railway employee and is currently posted in Tumakuru. Speaking to media persons in Tumakuru, Hutagi said: “I lost my Aadhaar card a couple of times, and the last time I lost it was about 1.5-2 years ago. Using the 12-digit number, I got a new card but did not file any police complaint. I did not know that it could be misused in such a way.” “I am working as a gateman in the Tumakuru section. I got a call from the Hubballi police and shared my details and photos with them…” he added. Sources also informed that the blast resulted from an IED device – comprising a 5kg pressure cooker, small amounts of explosives, nuts and bolts meant to be projectiles, a circuit linked to a timing device, and a bulb filament that acted as the detonator when the circuit was closed by the timer. They added that three batteries powered the circuit. The IED used in the Mangaluru blast was similar to devices used by a little-known group called ‘Base Movement’ – consisting of cadre from radical Muslim groups like the proscribed Al Ummah in Tamil Nadu and others in southern India – that carried out a series of blasts in court complexes in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in 2016, according to the sources. Additional director general of police (law and order) Alok Kumar said: “Several teams across the state are coordinating in the case and central agencies are also in touch. It would not be an appropriate time to reveal the investigation details and we are confident to crack the case in a day or two.” The police along with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials carried out raids across multiple locations in the state Sunday in relation to the blast case. Responding to the blast case, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said: “The police have taken up this case seriously and started an investigation. It looks like IED-like equipment has been used in this incident. Upon checking the records of the individual (passenger), it was revealed that the Aadhaar card was fake. Prima facie the blast appears to be an act of terror. The NIA and other agencies have already visited the spot and taken up the probe… This individual (passenger) had visited several places including Coimbatore, so he may have links with a terrorist group. This information has been shared by the police after a preliminary probe. Any links of this blast incident with the banned PFI will be known after a thorough investigation.”
