The National Investigative Agency (NIA) have made four more arrests in connection with the 2022 Coimbatore car blasts. The arrests come in the wake of raids in 27 locations across Tamil Nadu, conducted on February 10. The arrested men have reportedly been identified as Jameel Basha Umari, Mohammad Hussain Faizy, Irshath, Syed Abdur Rahman Umari. The NIA also reportedly seized 6 laptops, 25 cell phones, 34 sim cards, several SD cards and hard drives.
The blast occurred on October 23, 2022 in Coimbatore’s Udakkam near the Kottai Easwaran temple. The blast occurred after the LPG cylinder in a car driven by a man named Jamesha Mubin exploded on Deepavali evening. The explosion killed Mubin on the spot and the car was found to be carrying marbles, nails and other shrapnel.
Later, the Coimbatore police recovered 75-kg of explosives including potassium nitrate and aluminium powder, charcoal and sulphur, which are commonly used to make country bombs, from his residence. The police arrested six men–Mohammad Thalka, Mohammad Asarudheen, Mohammad Riyaz, Feroz Ismail,Mohammad Navaz Ismail and Asfar Khan– in the initial days following the blast. At the time, one of the accused was found to have connections with ISIS. Based on Chief Minister MK Stalin’s recommendation, the probe was transferred to the NIA on October 27.
It came to light that Mubin had been questioned in the wake of the 2019 Easter Bombings in Sri Lanka but had been let off due to lack of adequate evidence. He was however put on the watch list of both state and national intelligence agencies. It was also discovered that Mubin had been becoming increasingly radicalised until his death in the blast.