Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 27: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court on Monday, April 27, sentenced Mohammed Shariq, the prime convict in the Mangaluru cooker bomb blast case, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court had recently accepted his plea admitting to the crime.
The sentencing follows a long-drawn investigation and trial into the blast that rocked the coastal city. Shariq was found guilty under Section 121A (conspiracy to commit offences against the state) and Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the IPC, as well as various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The incident occurred on November 19, 2022, when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) concealed in a pressure cooker accidentally exploded inside an moving auto-rickshaw near Kankanady in Mangaluru. Shariq, who was transporting the bomb, and the auto-rickshaw driver were both injured in the blast. The accidental nature of the explosion was said to have averted a much larger catastrophe intended for the city.
Due to the threat to national security, the case was handed over to the NIA, which filed a chargesheet against him in 2024. During the proceedings, Shariq filed a plea admitting to the charges and expressing remorse for his actions.
Taking the gravity of the terror-related activities into account, the special court pronounced the 10-year rigorous jail term on Monday.