Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 29: In a significant development in the Mangaluru cooker blast case, a special court for terrorism-related matters in Bengaluru has accepted the guilty plea of the main accused, Mohammed Shariq.
The blast, which occurred inside an auto in Mangaluru on November 19, 2022, had raised serious concerns over possible terror links at the time.
Shariq, 27, a resident of Shivamogga, had earlier pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges when the case was taken up on April 20, 2024. However, in a marked shift, he filed a guilty plea in December 2025.
The special court formally accepted the plea on March 26 and has now posted the matter for a fresh hearing to record the plea.
Detailing its order, the court stated: “The application filed by accused No.1, Mohammed Shariq, also known by other names as Shariq, Mohammed Sharik, Premraj Hutagi, Premraj, Gowli Arun Kumar, under Section 229 of the Cr P C, is hereby allowed. Since the application filed by accused No.1 under Section 229 of Cr P C is allowed, it is necessary to record the plea of accused No.1 again by reading over the charges already framed on April 20, 2024.”
The acceptance of the guilty plea is expected to fast-track the subsequent legal proceedings in the case.