Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath on Sunday reiterated the demand for setting up a branch of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the city even as a NIA team joined the investigation in the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case.
Speaking to presspersons after visiting the spot of the explosion at Kankanady, Mr. Kamath said that with Dakshina Kannada sharing borders with Kerala, crimes being reported in the region has ramifications in the two States.
“I have spoken in the Legislative Assembly on the need for opening a branch of NIA in Mangaluru. I will reiterate this demand and prevail upon the State government to press for a NIA unit in Mangaluru,” he said. The State government will take all steps to prevent re-occurrence of terrorism activities in the region, he added.
Condemning Saturday’s blast, Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel said that the State Police, in association with NIA, will effectively deal with persons behind the incident.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Kateel said the State government will take steps to ensure that fundamentalist forces that are behind this incident do not gain ground in Dakshina Kannada and other parts of the State. The Union government is extending the necessary support to the State government to deal with organisations that are behind terrorist acts, he said.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad Mangaluru Pranta Saha Karyadarshi Sharan Pumpwell said that a high-level probe is necessary to trace all those, including locals, who are involved in the incident.
Dakshina Kannada District BJP president Sudarshan Moodbidri, in a statement, said that the State government will take effective action against those who have tried to create fear in the minds of people.
Social Democratic Party of India State committee member Athaullah Jokatte said that the State government should conduct a fair probe into the incident. This incident should not be used to show a community in bad light, he said.
ADGP visits spot
Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) (ADGP) Alok Kumar, who is overseeing the investigation, arrived in the city on Sunday evening. He visited the spot and also met the two injured persons in the hospital. He later had a meeting with officers, including Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar and Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) Chandragupta.
Speaking to reporters outside the hospital, the ADGP said that the autorickshaw driver who is undergoing treatment is able to speak and has given an account of the incident to the police. The passenger of the autorickshaw, the terror suspect, is not able to speak. His relatives are expected in the city on Monday.
Mr. Kumar said that the police are investigating the incident from all angles.
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