NIA court sentences Mangaluru blast accused to 10 years

A special NIA court in Bengaluru has sentenced Mohammad Shariq to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a ₹10,000 fine for the November 19, 2022 Mangaluru cooker bomb blast. The explosion occurred inside an auto-rickshaw near Kankanady due to a timer error—set for 9 minutes instead of 90—causing a premature blast. Investigators found Shariq was influenced by ISIS ideology, used the dark web to contact handlers, and was allegedly planning to target the Kadri Temple. He is also linked to the Shivamogga trial blast and a 'Lashkar-e-Taiba Zindabad' graffiti case.