Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Monday drew a parallel between the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast and the Coimbatore car blast earlier this year. “A couple of months ago, a similar incident took place in Coimbatore which was also planned near a temple. This person Md Sharik (Mangaluru blast accused) went there and met a person in Coimbatore. The police have also traced his movements over the last two months,” K Sudhakar said, adding that Shariq could have been planning a blast around the Durga Parameshwari Temple in Mangaluru.
“Every angle and aspect is being probed in the matter. We are also trying to find if he had any connection with international terrorist organisations, banned organisations or sleeper cells that may be active in the area. Our concerns stem from the fact that we are a state bordering Kerala,” he added. Terming the incident as a “dastardly act of terror and violence”, the minister assured that the administration will nab all the culprits involved in the case.