Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court yesterday pardoned 26-year-old Mohammed Ayub, a member of terror outfit Base Movement after he turned approver in connection with the case of blast on Mysuru Law Court premises in 2016. His statement was crucial in strengthening the evidence against the other four accused.

The explosion rocked the Mysuru District Court on Aug. 1 2016 and the impact smashed the glass windows and doors of a toilet complex located behind the court on that day at 4.30 pm. No one was injured in the incident.

The Court made it clear that Ayub, a resident of Madurai in Tamil Nadu and presently lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison, will have to face prosecution if he fails to give evidence against the three accused as he had disclosed in his statement given to the NIA, and a voluntary statement recorded before the jurisdictional magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

The prosecution (National Investigation Agency) had itself filed the appeal before the HC against a decision by the NIA Special Court which had rejected Ayub and the NIA’s plea for a pardon. The NIA in its appeal supported Ayub, who sought the pardon after disclosing the truth behind the conspiracy hatched to explode the bomb to create terror among the public. Ayub was one among the five accused involved in Mysuru blast case.

“Ayub had knowingly joined Base Movement and conspired with others to carry out terror activities, including the blast in Mysuru Court. He was facing the allegation of providing his residence for making bombs. He expressed willingness to become an approver and has given a statement under Section 164 of CrPC making full disclosure of facts of the crime,” NIA told the HC.