The strings of the auto rickshaw blast case that shook Mangaluru in Karnataka on November 19, 2022, has been linked to Seoni in Madhya Pradesh. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team probing the case raided three houses in Seoni. The NIA had searched the houses of suspects Shoaib Khan, Abdul Aziz Salfi and Akram here. The team left Akram there, while took Shoaib and Abdul to Jabalpur for questioning. Both have been released by the NIA for the time being, but Akram has also been called to Bengaluru for questioning after giving a notice. NIA will investigate the link of all three to ISIS and terror funding case.

On November 19, 2022, a 24-year-old youth hired an autorickshaw in Mangaluru. The youth asked the driver to go to Pumpwell area. After going a short distance from there, there was a blast in the auto. Both the auto driver and the youth were injured in that. When the police investigated, it was found that there was a blast due to the cooker bomb in the auto. When the police gathered information about the auto driver and the injured youth, the injured youth was identified as Mohammad Sharique. Many terror link cases are already going on against Mohammad Sharique. In the same case, two of his accomplices namely Syed Yasin, Maj Muneer Ahmed have also been arrested during the investigation. Police’s Forensic Science Laboratory Division reached Sharique’s house at Madahalli near Mysore, which he had rented. From here the team got the material to make explosives. It included gelatin powder, circuit board, battery, mobile, wooden sawdust, aluminum multi meter, wire, bolt and pressure cooker. The police had told that the accused was preparing to make more explosives. A half-burnt flag of India was also recovered from them. The initial investigation was done by the Karnataka Police, but in view of the terror angle that was coming to the fore, the case was handed over to the NIA. There was also an angle of financial transaction regarding terror funding, so ED also got involved in this case.

During the investigation, NIA raided several locations in Karnataka. Many objectionable evidences were found from here. These also included digital evidence and electronic gadgets. The end of the investigation of digital evidence reached Seoni. After this the NIA team raided Seoni. Hard disks, electronic devices and some literature have also been recovered from the houses of the three suspects. However, whether there is anything objectionable in these or not, it has not been disclosed at the moment. MP Home Minister, Narottam Mishra said that notices have been given to Shoaib and Abdul, who were detained from Seoni after questioning, and Akram, who was released on the spot have been called to Bangalore for questioning.

The NIA team seized hard disks, several SIM cards, memory cards from them and seized about 26 articles. The case is related to terrorist activities. The digital footprints found in the Shivamogga blast case pointed towards the involvement of the terrorist organisation Islamic State (ISIS) in the conspiracy. Therefore NIA has registered a case under Section 120B, 121, 121A r/w 34 of IPC. It is imposed for criminal and well-planned organized conspiracy. A case has also been registered under UA(P) u/s 18, 38,39 and 2. This section is imposed on involvement in anti-national activities, showing malice against the country, act or conspiracy to destroy territorial integrity. Under this, even a suspect can be declared a terrorist. Shoaib and Abdul give religious speeches