NIA files charge sheet in Mangaluru pressure cooker IED blast case
New Delhi, Nov 29: The NIA on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against two arrested accused in the alleged Islamic State-sponsored pressure cooker blast in Karnataka's Mangaluru last year, an official said.
The charge sheet was filed against Mohamed Shariq and Syed Shariq in a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosive Substances Act, a spokesperson for the federal agency said.
Mohamed Shariq, who was carrying the pressure cooker IED (improvised explosive device) in an autorickshaw, had allegedly planned to plant it at Mangaluru's Kadri Manjunatha Temple with the aim to create terror among the Hindu community. The low intensity bomb, however, accidentally exploded on the way on November 19, 2022, the spokesperson said.
The official said a case was registered on November 23, 2022, and Mohamed Shariq and co-accused Syed Shariq were arrested by the NIA in July.
According to the investigations, the two along -- with an online handler -- had planned the explosion as part of a conspiracy to establish a Caliphate (Sharia law), the spokesperson said.
As part of the conspiracy, Mohamed Shariq prepared the pressure cooker IED and Syed Yasin -- another accused -- provided material support, the official added.
The official said Mohamed Shariq first came on the radar of security forces in November 2020 when he was arrested by the Karnataka Police for painting a pro-terror graffiti in Mangaluru City.
He and his associates had put up the graffiti in support of the global terror outfit, the Islamic State, the spokesperson said.
Subsequently, Mohamed Shariq was also named in the Shivamogga Islamic State conspiracy case of 2022, in which 10 accused have been arrested so far.
Of the 10 arrested, nine -- including Mohamed Shariq and Syed Yasin -- were chargesheeted on June 30 for radicalising and recruiting gullible Muslim youths, raising funds and conducting trial blasts to further the anti-India activities of the Islamic State, the spokesperson said.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
