Mangaluru police quiz Shariq, formally hand over cooker blast case to NIA

MANGALURU: The Mangaluru police on Thursday handed over the cooker blast case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further investigation.

Shariq may have been given shelter in Coimbatore by absconding members of the Base Movement.

The police video-recorded the statement of the blast suspect Mohammed Shariq in the presence of the Mangaluru City Police Commissioner N Shashikumar and the investigation officer (IO) P A Hegde and over 100 questions were posed to him on Wednesday after doctors declared him fit. The NIA will now record his statement afresh.

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

“On November 19, a blast occurred in a moving autorickshaw in Kankanady police limits. Initially, an Aadhaar card with the name Premraj was found and it later turned out that the suspect is Mohammed Shariq. He has two case registered against in connection with graffiti cases and the Shivamogga police were also on the lookout for him in another case”, Mangaluru Police Commissioner N Shashikumar told reporters.

A NIA team visited the hospital where Shariq is undergoing treatment, on Thursday.

“After suffering injuries in the blast, Shariq was on ventilator for long and his treatment is continuing. We took up investigation under the Explosives Act, IPC and UAPA. Since the case involves provisions of the UAPA, we got communication from our headquarters on Wednesday to hand over the case to the NIA and accordingly, it was handed over to the central agency on Thursday”, he added.

Mangaluru police commissioner N Shashikumar briefing reporters on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the condition of Shariq, who is undergoing treatment in hospital, is said to be improving. The police have enhanced security at the hospital as they suspect that Shariq’s life could be in danger.