A taxi driver has claimed that he spotted a person resembling Mohammad Shariq, the prime suspect in the Mangaluru blast, at Isha Yoga centre in Coimbatore during the festival of Deepavali, but investigators have expressed doubts on its veracity. The statement was given to the Coimbatore police on Thursday, November 24 by Anandan, 45, who works as a taxi driver in the city.
According to Anandan, he saw someone who looked like Shariq at Isha Yoga centre on the day of Deepavali. "I went to Isha on the 23rd and 24th of October for trips. On Deepavali, October 24, I saw someone resembling Shariq at the canteen of Isha centre. He took photos of the Adiyogi statue and he was wearing a floral yellow cap," he told the police.
Reports have said the team which is investigating the Mangaluru blast denied the claims of Anandan. According to TNIE, the police said Shariq's mobile phone signals showed he was in Karnataka on the day of Deepavali and the collected information will be verified by the cops.
An autorickshaw exploded in Karnataka’s Mangaluru on November 19, in which two persons sustained injuries. A moving auto near Nagori within Kankanady Town police station limits caught fire on November 19 evening.
Shariq, hailing from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district, was travelling in an auto rickshaw with a pressure cooker fitted with a detonator, wires and batteries when it exploded on the outskirts of Mangaluru on November 19.
He is currently being treated in a city hospital after suffering burn injuries. The explosion was "an act of terror" that caused significant damage, according to Karnataka police. "Matchboxes, phosphorus, sulphur, batteries, circuit boards, and nuts and bolts were recovered from his house. The homeowner, Mohan Kumar, was unaware of these actions," the ADGP had said. Four youths have been apprehended so far as part of the investigation – two from Mysuru, one from Mangaluru, and one from Ooty.