Mangaluru blast 'act of terror'; injured passenger now suspect

The low-intensity blast that injured two people in Mangaluru on Saturday evening is not "an accident but an act of terror", Karnataka police has said, even as a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) landed in the coastal city and began its probe.

Two people were injured in the blast that occurred in an autorickshaw at Nagori in Kankanady Town police station limits. While the identity of the passenger is yet to be established, police sources said he had faked his identity and is suspected to have links to terror outfits.

Shivamogga police claimed that one Shariq from Soppugudde of Thirthahalli town, about 340km from Bengaluru, is a suspect in the case. Shariq, who has been absconding for a couple of months after his associates were arrested, could either be the injured passenger or could have played a role in it.

A suspect in the case was living under an assumed name in Mysuru for 6-7 months, local police said.