MANGALURU: Dakshina Kannada district police conducted a search at Bedrala in Belthangady taluk where suspicious movements and a blast were reported a day before the Mangaluru blast on November 19 at Naguri, when a low-intensity explosion took place from a pressure cooker in an autorickshaw.
The passenger, Mohammad Shariq, the prime suspect in the case, and the autorickshaw driver Purushotham Poojary sustained injuries in the blast. Meanwhile, there have been reports of satellite phone usage at Kakkinje, Moodbidri and Belthangady. A police team from Belthangady on Saturday rushed to the forest area at Bedrala where satellite phones were allegedly active. It was told that banned Thuraya satellite phones were used. The local police teams had conducted searches to gather evidence at Bedrala and also met villagers.
However, Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police (SP) Rishikesh Sonawane clarified on Sunday that the use of satellite phones has not been confirmed while the blast was reportedly carried out by the locals to scare off elephants, which entered their fields.
Security at Kadri temple
A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mangaluru South MLA Vedavyas with authorities of Kadri Manjunatha temple and the police, where single entry, screening machine, and security at parking, among other issues, were discussed.