Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jan 21: The auto rickshaw driver who carried the suspect who carried and planted improved explosive device (IED) at the airport here, presented himself before the police.
After the city police released photos of the suspect and also of the three-wheeler used by him for the travel, the auto rickshaw driver came to the police station and made a statement. The driver said that the middle-aged man who came by a private bus, had two bags in his hand. "After alighting at Kenjar, he kept a bag inside the salon nearby. The salon owner asked the bag to be placed outside. Therefore, he kept the bag outside and travelled to the airport in my auto rickshaw," he said.
Screengrab from CCTV footage
The driver said that the man, after placing a bag near the ticket counter of the airport at around 8.50 am, again boarded the auto rickshaw. "He was speaking in Tulu. After reaching Kenjar, he picked up the bag he had left at the salon. During the travel, he did not show any signs of panic or anxiety. He was talking freely. After reaching Pumpwell, he got down after paying the fare of Rs 400," the driver said.
On the basis of this statement, the police, who have formed three teams, are trying to find out the suspect.
An IED found in a bag used for laptops at the airport here on Monday had given rise to anxious moments. The security staff who noticed the bag, had contacted the bomb disposals squad who carried the device to the Kenjar ground where it was defused.