Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case: Karnataka Director-General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood said that the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case would be soon formally handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Earlier on Wednesday, Sood accompanied Araga Jnanendra, State Home Minister, to the blast spots on the outskirts of the city. Later, the minister along with the DGP also visited the hospital where the auto driver Purushottam Poojary is being treated.
Speaking to the media, Jnanendra said that accused Mohammed Shariq visited various locations, including Coimbatore and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu before carrying out the blast.
The matter is being investigated: Minister
He further said that an investigation into the matter is underway as various police teams have been formed and sent to different places as part of the probe.
Meanwhile, the DGP said that 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.
The DGP terms the balst as an 'act of terror'
Earlier on November 20, DGP Sood also confirmed that the incident was not accidental but an "act of terror." "It’s confirmed now. The blast is not accidental but an 'Act of terror' with the intention to cause serious damage. Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies," DGP Karnataka had stated.
The statement comes a day after a moving autorickshaw exploded under unclear circumstances in Mangaluru on Saturday, November 19. According to reports, the autorickshaw driver and the passenger sustained injuries after the fire in the vehicle originated from the latter's bag.
(With inputs from PTI)
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