The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against two accused in the Islamic State (IS) sponsored pressure cooker blast that took place in Mangaluru in Karnataka in November last year.

One of the accused, Mohamed Shariq, was carrying the pressure cooker IED in an autorickshaw when it exploded on November19, 2023. He had planned to plant the IED at Kadri Manjunath Temple in Mangaluru, with an aim to create terror among the Hindu community, but the low intensity bomb accidentally exploded on the way.

The case was registered on 23 November 2022 under sections 120B and 307 of IPC and sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act 1908.

Shariq was arrested by the NIA in July 2023, along with his co-accused Syed Shariq. The NIA today filed a chargesheet prosecuting both the arrested accused.

As per the NIA investigations, Shariq and Syed, along with an online handler, had planned the explosion as part of a conspiracy to establish Caliphate (Shariya Law).

In pursuance of the conspiracy, Shariq had prepared the pressure cooker IED and Syed Yasin had provided material support for the explosive.

Shariq had first come on the radar of security forces in November 2020 when he was arrested by the Karnataka police for pro-terror graffiti in Mangaluru city. He and his associates had put up the graffiti in support of the global terror outfit, the Islamic State (IS).

Subsequently, Shariq was also named in the Shivamogga IS Conspiracy Case of 2022, in which so far 10 accused have been arrested.

Of these 10 arrested, nine, including Shariq and Syed Yasin, were chargesheeted on 30th June 2023 for radicalising and recruiting gullible Muslim youth, raising funds, and further conducting trial blast to further the anti-India activities of IS.

(With UNI inputs)