'We Were All In A State Of Shock': Neighbours Recall Kerala Blast Accused As 'Nice' Person

Kerala Blast: The residents of Thammanam in Kochi were in disbelief as TV channels flashed the image of 48-year-old Dominic Martin after he surrendered to the police.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan meets a victim of the Kalamaseri convention center explosion

Source : PTI

Shock and disbelief gripped Thammanam, a suburban residential area in Kerala's Kochi, after a resident of the area claimed to be behind the blasts that ripped through a convention centre that was hosting a religious gathering of a Christian group. The residents of Thammanam were in disbelief as TV channels flashed the image of 48-year-old Dominic Martin after he surrendered to the police claiming responsibility.

Three people died and over 50 were injured in the series of explosions at the Zamra International Convention Centre in Kalamassery where over 2,000 followers of Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian sect, had gathered for prayers.

Martin's neighbours described him as a "nice" and "soft-spoken" person. Recollecting his pleasant and amiable nature, Jaleel, Martin's landlord, said, "He was such a person who hiked the rent by Rs 1,000 himself and gave it to me without asking for it," PTI reported.

Martin, who studied till Class 10, taught spoken English to local children residing in his neighbourhood. However, Martin had to shut shop due to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved to Dubai, where he worked as an electrical foreman.

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Martin has been staying in a two-bedroom rented accommodation with his wife and daughter, who studies in Kochi. He also has a son who is pursuing higher education in the UK, PTI reported.

Describing the day of the explosion, Sakkeer, the ward councillor of the area, disclosed that Martin left his house in the early hours of Sunday. He told his wife that he would meet a friend of his. 

"He had touched the feet of his wife and told her that he was going. Martin had told his wife the previous day that he would be leaving early on Sunday to meet a friend of his," PTI quoted Sakkeer as saying.

People rush to save themselves after a blast at a convention centre in Kalamassery (PTI)

Kerala Police conducted a forensic examination at Martin's residence after he surrendered. However, no incriminating evidence was found.

"We were all in a state of shock and could not believe it. Police searched the house and talked to the family. But they did not get any evidence from here, I guess," Jaleel told PTI.