Cooker Bomb Blast Case: Accused Shariq Pleads Guilty, NIA Court Accepts Application

Cooker Bomb Blast Case: Accused Shariq Pleads Guilty, NIA Court Accepts Application

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, March 29, 2026: In a significant development in the 2022 Mangaluru cooker bomb blast case, the prime accused Mohammed Shariq has pleaded guilty, and his application has been accepted by a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Shariq, a 27-year-old from Shivamogga, was seriously injured on November 19, 2022, when a pressure cooker bomb he was allegedly carrying in an autorickshaw exploded on his lap due to a suspected timer malfunction. The autorickshaw driver also sustained severe injuries in the blast. After receiving treatment in hospital, Shariq was taken into custody by NIA officials.

Earlier, on April 20, 2024, Shariq had claimed innocence when questioned in court regarding the charges. However, in December 2025, he filed a plea under Section 229 of the Criminal Procedure Code, admitting his guilt. The NIA special court accepted the plea on March 26, 2026, following a three-month review.

In his application, Shariq reportedly confessed to planting an improvised explosive device (IED) in a cooker and expressed remorse, urging the court to take action as per law.

According to the NIA investigation, Shariq is allegedly a member of an ISIS-inspired Shivamogga module and had been involved in terror-related activities since 2020. He is also suspected to have played a role in an IED test blast reported in Shivamogga in September 2022 and had earlier been arrested in 2020 in connection with anti-national graffiti in Mangaluru.

Further, investigators suspect his possible involvement in the March 1, 2024, Rameshwaram Café blast case in Bengaluru. However, as of now, his confession pertains only to the Mangaluru cooker bomb blast case.