Shariq’s family members reaches Mangaluru hospital to identify him

MANGALURU: The family members of Shariq, the suspect in the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast, reached Mangaluru on Sunday night and arrived at the Father Muller Medical College and Hospital on Monday to identify him. Shariq is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit and in a critical condition.

According to police sources, Shariq has sustained 50 per cent burns in the blast. Hence, police were not able to identify him properly.

The police have also arrested three other suspects who were in regular contact with Shariq.

Shariq is undergoing treatment in intensive care unit at Father Muller Medical College and Hospital in Mangaluru.

Shariq is also suspected to be involved in many terror activities and was the main accused in the pro-terrorism graffiti on walls in Suratkal. He is also suspected to have direct links with Al-Hind and ISIS.

On Saturday, Shariq was accompanied by another person while carrying the bomb. Both had bought liquor from a liquor store in Naguri. However, he got into the autorickshaw himself. Shariq was wearing three different shirts at that time. He then headed towards Pumpwell by auto, but the IED exploded enroute.

Shariq’s aunt (step mother) and other family members visited the hospital to identifying him.

Meanwhile, the police conducted raid on the houses of Shariq’s four relatives in Thirthahalli. Shariq and two other youths had been arrested in September over a stabbing incident in Shivamogga that occurred around Independence Day and was out on bail. According to credible sources, the NIA was also searching for him in the Shivamogga riots case.

Shariq had planned the Mangaluru blast, but did not succeed. He had carried out tests of IEDs many places earlier, as per the initial investigation.

NIA is searching for Shariq in the Shivamogga riots case.

According to the police, the autorickshaw driver Purshottam Pujari had sustained 20-25 per cent burn injuries and they have been trying to get him the required medical treatment to help him survive as “he needs to be interrogated”. “As he (Purushottam) can’t speak, we haven’t been able to establish his identity”, ADGP Alok Kumar said.