Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case to be formally handed over to NIA soon: DGP

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case will be formally handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) soon, Karnataka DGP Praveen Sood said here on Wednesday.

State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra visited the blast spot on the outskirts of the city, along with Sood, and also the hospital where the auto driver Purushottam Poojary is being treated Addressing reporters, Jnanendra said the blast accused Mohammed Shariq had visited different places like Coimbatore and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and an investigation is on. Various police teams have been formed and sent to different places as part of the probe.

Sood, who was also present, said the NIA and central agencies were part of the investigation from day one of the blast, and added that the case would be formally handed over to the NIA soon.

He said that the investigation on the money/funding angle was on.

Addressing the media after a meeting in the Mangaluru Police Commissioner’s office he said, “The money angle to the case is being investigated. We cannot disclose more information on it. Currently, our priority is to save the life of the accused Mohammed Shareeq, and subject him to interrogation once he is normal. We expect the truth to be revealed after his interrogation”.

Throwing light on the investigation he said, “We are also investigating in states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and other places. The Karnataka Police is investigating the matter thoroughly by detaining several people. By detention, it does not mean that they are accused. We are detaining them on an element of doubt just to interrogate them and not arrest them”.

“Currently, we have detained four persons in a raid conducted in eight places including Bengaluru. We have not labelled them as accused. We just want to investigate the matter from all angles. We want minds that have worked behind this blast”, he added.

(With inputs from PTI)