Bengaluru / Mysuru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) yesterday filed a charge-sheet against three persons for the blasts that took place at the Mysuru Court Complex in August 2016.

The explosion rocked the Mysuru District Court on Aug. 1 last year 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 NIA on Nov. 27, 2016, had arrested three persons, associated with the Base Movement, a terrorist outfit inspired by Al Qaeda, for allegedly carrying out explosions at five judicial courts at Chittoor, Kollam, Mysuru, Nellore and Malappuram.  

The arrested were 27-year-old Nainar Abbas Ali, 23-year-old Dawood Suleiman and 27-year-old Samsum Karim Raja. Abbas Ali, who had created the Base Movement, is the kingpin.

The NIA charge-sheet said its investigation revealed that the bomb explosion at Mysuru Court complex was carried out by the accused as part of a larger conspiracy to threaten the judiciary.

Interrogation in Mysuru revealed that it was Abbas Ali who manufactured the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and planted it in a pressure cooker. Abbas Ali later handed over the cooker to Suleiman with instructions to place it inside the Mysuru Court Complex.

According to the information elicited from Suleiman, he started from Madurai early on Aug. 1 in a Tamil Nadu Government bus and got down at Yelethota on the Nanjangud Road at around 3.30 pm. The cooker containing the explosives and timer was wrapped in a bag. From Yelethota he took an autorickshaw to reach the Court complex. He then went to the toilet complex and used the urinal.

As it was evening time, there were not many people in the vicinity. Suleiman then spotted a sweeper cleaning the toilet. He then spoke to the sweeper and handed over the bag of explosives to him and told him that he would return after some time. He also gave him Rs. 10 for the job. An unsuspecting sweeper took the bag and placed at a corner of the toilet. The cooker exploded at 4.30 pm.

The NIA said that the accused persons founded a terror outfit, sent threatening letters to various jails, senior Government functionaries and the French Consulate, and carried out blasts in five Court premises.