The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested three more individuals on Monday in connection with the 23 October 2022, car bomb blast near the Kottai Sangameshwarar Temple in Coimbatore. The explosion, caused by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), was orchestrated by Jamesha Mubeen, a self-proclaimed ISIS operative who died in the blast.
The newly arrested suspects, identified as Abu Hanifa of Podanur, Saran Mariappan of Selvapuram, and Pawas Rahman of GM Nagar, were taken into custody for their alleged role in financing the terror attack. This is the first time a Hindu, Saran Mariappan, has been arrested in connection with the case, raising attention due to his role in providing financial support to the suicide bomber. According to the NIA, the trio collaborated to fund the bombing, marking a significant breakthrough in the investigation.
NIA Arrests 3 more in ISIS-Inspired Coimbatore Car Bomb Blast Case pic.twitter.com/9HInpG2Q4i
— NIA India (@NIA_India) October 22, 2024
Abu Hanifa, who was employed as a faculty member at Kovai Arabic College, played a crucial role in the radicalization of Mubeen and several other accused. Investigations revealed that Mubeen and others had been indoctrinated with ISIS ideology while at the college. Before the attack, Mubeen had pledged allegiance to Abu-Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, the ISIS leader at the time.
The arrests bring the total number of individuals involved in the case to 18, including Mubeen. So far, the NIA has filed four chargesheets against 14 accused in the Special Court for NIA cases in Poonamallee, Chennai.
The blast, which took place on Eswaran Kovil Street near Ukkadam, was seen as an act of revenge against non-believers, according to the NIA. Mubeen, who had been radicalized over time, used the VBIED to target the temple in what the agency described as a carefully planned terror strike.
Further investigations are ongoing, and additional arrests are anticipated. The NIA also highlighted a related case that led to the arrest and chargesheeting of four individuals involved in the radicalization process at the college.
(With inputs from ToI)
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