Mangaluru blast: NIA to seek life sentence for accused, challenge 10-year term

Bengaluru, May 2 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is preparing to file an appeal before the court challenging the 10-year imprisonment awarded to Mohammed Shariq in the Mangaluru cooker blast case, seeking a life sentence, officials said on Saturday.

According to NIA officials, Shariq has already spent nearly four years in jail, with about six years of his sentence remaining.

Investigations have revealed that convict Shariq was in contact with terrorist organisations and could pose a potential threat to society.

NIA officers stated that before being apprehended by the agency, Shariq had earlier been arrested by local police, and soon after his release, he allegedly carried out trial bomb blasts in the Tunga River catchment area in Shivamogga and later planned the Mangaluru blast.

NIA officers further said that the appeal would be filed on the grounds that Shariq would be around 33-years-old at the time of his release. At that age, if he returns to mainstream society, there is a possibility that he could reconnect with subversive elements, and anti-national forces might exploit him against the interests of the nation.

Officials said preparations are underway and arguments are being formulated in this regard, and the appeal will be filed before the court soon.

Meanwhile, it has come to light that local police allegedly showed negligence after arresting Shariq in 2020 along with another suspect, Maaz Muneer, on charges of anti-national graffiti at two locations. It is alleged that the police did not effectively utilise witnesses and filed the chargesheet in a hurried manner.

As a result, the accused secured bail from the court and allegedly went on to engage in anti-national activities. Sources said that if the police had conducted a more thorough investigation, or if the case had been handed over to the NIA or CBI, the terror module could have been busted and the Mangaluru cooker blast might have been prevented.

It can be recalled that a special NIA court on April 27, sentenced Shariq to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with the Mangaluru cooker blast case. Shariq had pleaded guilty before the court during the trial. The period of imprisonment already undergone will be set off against the total sentence.

Shariq sought a reduction in his sentence, stating that he has one daughter and is the sole breadwinner of his family. Meanwhile, the second accused, Syed Yasin, pleaded not guilty, and the trial against him will continue.

–IANS

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