Mangaluru Blast Suspect Reportedly Wanted to Target Children’s Event

Mohammad Shariq, 24, was arrested as the main suspect behind a low-intensity bomb blast inside an autorickshaw that rocked Managaluru, a city in Karnataka state last week.

An investigation into the Mangaluru bomb blast has taken a big turn following a shocking revelation that the main suspect in the case wanted to carry out an explosion at a children’s festival.

The probe teams have found Mohammad Shariq's original target was to carry out a massive blast at a children's festival organized by Keshava Smrithi Samvardhana Samithi, linked to the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Indian media reported, citing sources familiar with the course of the investigation.

The program organized at Sanghaniketan on November 19, the day the explosion occurred, was attended by over 10,000 people, including children and senior local officials.

At the same venue, Karnataka State Chief Basavaraj Bommai's program was also scheduled to take place but was eventually cancelled at the last minute.

Sources revealed that Shariq allegedly changed his plan after missing the bus at the boarding point Mysuru to reach Mangaluru. He later reached Mangaluru using another bus, which took the route of Mysuru-Madikeri-Puttur.

The investigation team scanned the accused's mobile and found out through his Google search history that on November 19, he had searched twice for the Mannagudda-Gandhinagar location - where the children’s festival was organized.

Meanwhile, investigators are waiting for the main suspect, Shariq, to recover from his burns and be declared medically fit to carry out further a interrogation regarding his targets and the terror network.