COIMBATORE: H Mohammed Shariq (24) of Thirthahalli in Shivamogga, the prime accused in the autorickshaw blast that occurred in Mangaluru on Saturday, had visited Madurai and Coimbatore and had stayed for a few days in a dormitory in Singanallur in September, Coimbatore police said on Sunday.
Police are probing whether Shariq met Jamesha Mubeen, who died in the car blast in Coimbatore on October 23, during his stay in Coimbatore.
Police are also questioning Surendran (28) of Thummanatty in Udhagamandalam whose Aadhaar details were allegedly used by Shariq to purchase a SIM card. Sources said Surendran works as a teacher in a private school near Singanallur and Shariq had shared a room with him in the dormitory.
Commissioner of police V Balakrishnan told TNIE on Sunday, “Shariq had visited Coimbatore in September and stayed for a few days in a dormitory along with the person from Nilgiris. We suspect Shariq may have come to Tamil Nadu to evade Shivamogga police who were searching for him for jumping bail in a case. We are also investigating if Shariq had met Mubeen.”
According to sources, the Mangaluru East police had arrested Shariq and U Sadath Hussain (50) on December 3, 2020, under UAPA for writing “Do not force us to invite Lashkar -e-Taiba and Taliban to deal with sanghis and manvadis. Lashkar Zindabad” on the compound wall of an apartment complex with black spray paint.
Police intensify vehicle checks at rly stations
The two came out of jail after getting conditional bail from Karnataka High Court on July 23, 2021. Shariq later went missing, sources said. The Shivamogga police on November 4, 2022, arrested Mohammed Yasin and Maj Muneer Ahamed for suspected links with ISIS, and were searching for Mohammed Shariq in that case too.
Meanwhile, police intensified vehicle checks on the outskirts of Coimbatore, particularly those coming from Karnataka on the Kerala- Tamil Nadu border at Anaikatty and Mangarai. Security is also beefed up in the city with police carrying out baggage checks at railway stations, bus stands and of those moving suspiciously at crowded places. Since several trains from Mangaluru pass through the city, security was tightened at railway stations, police said. Additional force is deployed in city and rural areas.
Did Shariq meet Mubeen in Kovai?
A probe is on to find out whether Shariq met Jamesha Mubeen, who died in LPG cylinder explosion in Coimbatore on October 23, when he stayed for a few days in Coimbatore in September
Ooty man shared room in dormitory
Police are questioning Surendran of Ooty whose Aadhaar details were used by Shariq to purchase a SIM card. Surendran had shared a room with Shariq in a dormitory in Singanallur