Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jan 21: It has come to light that the person who planted an improved explosive device (IED) at the airport had come from State Bank bus stand in the city, and that he was having two bags with him. After leaving a bag with IED at the airport, he had taken away the other bag with him. Now there is suspicion that the other bag he had with him also would have contained some kind of explosive. The man in question had boarded a private bus, 'Rajkumar' which goes to Bajpe, He had got down at Kenjar airport stop with two bags. Immediately on getting down, he went to a nearby salon and sought to keep his bag here. The salon people allowed him to do so but asked him to keep the bag outside. He left the bag there, took the other bag having IED with him, and hired an auto rickshaw that was nearby to go to the airport.
The suspect in screengrab from CCTV footage
Like in other airports, there are two different entry and exit routes for vehicles at the airport here. But the said person reportedly pressurized the auto driver to return by the route which he took to reach the airport. The driver refused, after which he came to the salon through the exit route, and collected his bag. After collecting the bag, he went by the same auto rickshaw towards Kavoor. But there is no information where he went from there. The police are trying to find out where he went from Kenjar and whether he had planted any explosive elsewhere.
It is not known whether the person actually wanted to detonate the IED or the purpose was to scare the concerned. Because, the security staff said that the timer had not been in 'on' position and it had not been connected to the IED. If he had connected the timer, he could have set the explosion anytime once he left the airport. Therefore his aim would have been to give rise to a sense of fear. Some feel that during the friction in the bus to Bajpe that was full, wires of the device would have come off. There are chances of the man forgetting to connect the timer before leaving, as he was in a hurry not to get noticed.