Stalin seeks NIA probe into Coimbatore blast
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said he will recommend a probe by the NIA into the Coimbatore blast, in which one person was charred to death after an LPG cylinder inside a vehicle he was driving exploded near a temple on October 23.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said he will recommend a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the Coimbatore blast, in which one person was charred to death after an LPG cylinder inside a vehicle he was driving exploded near a temple on October 23.
The state police are currently investigating the blast. While the deceased was registered as the prime accused in the case, five of his associates were arrested on Monday. Police have also invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the case.
The government decided to make the recommendation to transfer the probe from the state police to NIA amid concerns that the incident may have ramifications beyond the boundaries of the state and international connections, according to a statement from the government.
“Keeping in mind the possible national and international ramifications, the meeting decided to recommend to the Union government to direct the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation in the case,” the statement said.
The decision was taken at a meeting Stalin held with director general of police (DGP) Sylendra Babu, chief secretary Irai Anbu, home secretary Phanindra Reddy, additional director general of police (ADGP) Davidson Devasirvatham and others earlier in the day.
Jameesha Mubin, who was questioned by NIA in 2019 for alleged terror links, was charred to death in suspicious circumstances after the LPG cylinder inside a Maruti 800 he was driving exploded near Kottai Eswaran temple in Ukkadam around 4am on Sunday morning, a day before Diwali. The incident took place around 200 metres from a police patrol. Five people were arrested on Monday night.
Coimbatore city commissioner K Balakrishnan on Tuesday told reporters it was a “joint conspiracy”. He declined to comment when asked about a possible terror angle to the explosion.
A senior police officer investigating the blast earlier said that Mubin and the five arrested men were in contact with Mohammad Azharuddin from Ukkadam, who is currently in jail for the deadly Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka in 2019. The officer ruled out that it was a case of suicide bombing.
HT reported on Wednesday that CCTV footage showed Mubin and a few others ostensibly carrying heavy objects wrapped in a white cloth from his house to the street at around 11.30pm on October 22.
Three of those arrested are the men in the video, police said, adding they were carrying two LPG cylinders and three cans. The cans were later recovered by the state police and sent for forensic analysis.
Besides recommending NIA probe, the state government also decided to set up three new police stations in Karumbu Kadai, Koundampalayam and Sundarapuram areas of Coimbatore for additional surveillance.
“The meeting also decided to appoint more officers to the intelligence department and to provide security to people who give inputs about people who indulge in anti-social activities,” the government statement said.
