NIA files fresh charge sheet in Coimbatore blast; names two accused

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a fresh charge sheet in the Coimbatore car bomb blast case, naming two individuals allegedly involved in the incident. The blast occurred in October 2022 outside a temple in Coimbatore, resulting in the death of the individual driving the vehicle. The NIA probe has revealed that the attack was part of a larger conspiracy to carry out terror attacks in the city. This brings the total number of accused in the case to 13.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a fresh charge sheet in its probe into the October 22, 2022, Coimbatore car bomb blast case, naming two persons who allegedly played a key role in the incident.

(File photo)

The charge sheet, filed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), names – Mohammed Azarudeen alias Azar and Mohammed Idris, both residents of Coimbatore.

With this, 13 accused have so far been charge sheeted by the anti-terror probe agency in the case. Previously, two charge sheets were filed against 11 persons on April 20 and June 2, 2023.

An explosion had taken place outside an ancient temple “Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil” at Eswaran Kovil Street, Ukkadam, Coimbatore on October 23, 2022. The vehicle borne Improvised Explosives Device (V-IED) driven by Jamesha Mubeen had blown up in front of the temple. Mubeen was killed in the blast.

Since taking over the probe four days after the blast, the NIA probe has revealed that Jameesha Mubeen, along with Mohammed Azarudeen, Umar Faaruq, Sheikh Hidayathullah and Sanofer Ali, had conspired to carry out a series of suicidal terror attacks in Coimbatore city following a conspiracy hatched in the forested area of Sathyamangalam region in Erode district of Tamil Nadu. “The attack was intended to wreak vengeance on the Kafirs (non-believers), as stated in one of the self-made confessional videos made by the accused a few days before the attack,” NIA said in a statement on Wednesday.

About Azarudeen, the agency said Wednesday, that he acted “as a pedagogue to the module involved in the attack”. He was earlier arrested in NIA in a separate case in Kochi for alleged indoctrination of his followers in ISIS ideology and in connection with NTJ (National Towheed Jama’at) module of Sri Lanka, which was responsible for the 2019 Easter Blast attacks there.

“Investigations further revealed that Azarudeen had motivated three other accused who met him in Viyyur high security prison. This led to the subsequent Sathyamangalam conspiracy meeting, resulting in the planning and preparation of the instant terror attack. Accused Umar Faaruq was elected as the Amir (chief) to lead the execution,” NIA said in a statement.

Idris, agency said, was part of the module of Azarudeen and was radicalized in ISIS and by ‘bayans’ of accused Maulvi Zahran bin Hashim (the main bomber of the April 2019 Sri Lanka attacks). The agency added that Idris was tasked with purchasing a used vehicle for the blast and to assist the main accused in the attack.

“The larger aim of the conspiracy was to create terror in the minds of a section of the society by targeting its various branches, i.e., general administration, police, judiciary, etc,” NIA added.