NIA takes over Coimbatore car blast case probe
The National Investigation Agency on Thursday, October 27, took over the investigation in the Coimbatore car blast case by registering an FIR. The NIA is India’s primary counter-terrorist task force.
Around 4.30 am on October 23, an LPG cylinder exploded inside a Maruti 800 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The explosion occurred near the Kottai Eswaran temple, killing a 25-year-old man, identified as Jameza Mubin.
On Sunday evening, state DGP Sylendra Babu revealed a terror angle to the blast. He said that nails, marbles, and other items usually used for explosions in terror attacks were found in the car. “Following a search at Mubin’s house, we recovered some low-intensive explosives — potassium nitrate, aluminium powder, charcoal, sulphur — used in making crude bombs,” he said.
Based on certain CCTV visuals, the police arrested five men and booked them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Coimbatore Commissioner Balakrishnan said that a few of them had visited Kerala earlier and that they were questioned by the NIA in 2019.