‘Suspect learnt to make bombs on chat groups’
BENGALURU: The suspects in the Mangaluru auto blast case were self-radicalised and learnt rudimentary bomb-making from groups on encrypted messaging platforms, a police officer privy to the case said on Tuesday.
The main suspects in the case are 24-year-old Mohammed Shariq, who was injured in the blast, and his associates Abdul Matheen Taha, Arafat Ali, Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Syed Yasin — all residents of Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district.
“So far, we have found that they had no connections with any organisation but they accessed content provided by the Islamic State through various sources. Out of their own motivation, they have planned these activities,” said the officer asking not to be named.
The officer said that among the group, only Taha is an alleged member of an Al-hind module that aimed to establish an IS province in South India. “There are many closed groups on Telegram and several other encrypted
messaging platforms associated with Islamic State which provide propaganda material and Do It Yourself (DIY) videos of bombs and explosives. They have used this,” he added.
The officer also added that videos on how to make a bike bombs and cooker bombs were recovered from Shariq’s phone.
Another officer familiar with the case pointed out that the nature of the improvised explosive device (IED) used shows that the group didn’t have much funding or support. He said potassium chlorate, which is used in match boxes and crackers, was used in making the bomb . Meanwhile, Mangaluru police commissioner N Shashi Kumar on Tuesday said Shariq is recovering and that police are ready to interrogate him “when he is fit.”