Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case to be handed over to NIA: Sources

The Mangaluru autorickshaw blast is likely to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), sources said on Monday.

The police have identified the accused as Sharik, who has been admitted to the Father Muller Hospital in Karnataka's Mangaluru after he sustained 40-45 per cent burn injuries due to a low-intensity blast that broke out in an autorickshaw in the Kankanadi police station area in the Mangaluru city at around 5 pm on Saturday.

The auto driver and the passenger sustained burn injuries and have been admitted to the hospital, the Commissioner of Police (CP) of Mangaluru City N Shashi Kumar said on November 19.

Notably, in a major breakthrough in the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case on Sunday, Additional Director General of Police Alok Kumar visited the spot and said that the bomb was implanted with an aim to disrupt harmony in the area.

"There was an attempt to disrupt harmony in the area," the senior police official said.ADGP Kumar also informed that the blast was a low-intensity explosion.

"It was a low-intensity IED explosion. There was an attempt to disrupt harmony in the area, and it was averted. Right now we've no info to suggest this blast related to the Coimbatore blast," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )