A special National Investigation Agency court has reserved its order on sentencing Mohammed Shariq, the prime accused in the 2022 Mangaluru cooker bomb blast case, until April 25.
Shariq is presently lodged in judicial custody at the Bengaluru Central Prison.
Guilty plea accepted
According to case sources, the accused had earlier claimed innocence before investigators and the court in April 2024.
However, in December 2025, he reportedly submitted a guilty plea under Section 229 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The special court accepted the plea on March 26, following which final arguments were heard.
2022 blast in autorickshaw
The explosion took place on November 19, 2022, when an improvised explosive device concealed inside a pressure cooker detonated inside a moving autorickshaw in the Kankanady area of Mangaluru.
Both the accused and the autorickshaw driver suffered serious burn injuries in the blast.
Temple was intended target, says probe
Investigators stated in the chargesheet that the device exploded prematurely because of an incorrect timer setting.
The NIA alleged that the intended target was the Kadri Manjunatha Temple and that the act was planned to trigger communal tension.
High-profile case in Karnataka
The case had drawn national attention due to the use of an IED and the sensitive nature of the alleged target.
The final sentencing order is now expected on April 25.