NIA Registers Case To Probe Oct 23 Coimbatore Car Blast

According to a senior NIA officer, the federal agency has re-registered the case that was first booked by the Tamil Nadu Police.

Emergency services personnel at the site after an LPG cylinder exploded inside a car, in Coimbatore

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday registered a case to investigate a car blast that took place recently near a temple in Coimbatore, news agency PTI reported.

According to a senior NIA officer, the federal agency has re-registered the case that was first booked by the Tamil Nadu Police.

The decision comes after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin recommended an investigation by the NIA into the car blast that took place on October 23 in which an engineer was killed.

According to the report, the Tamil Nadu government had said that the decision to recommend the NIA probe was taken as there was involvement of factors "extraneous to the state" and "possible international links".

It is to be noted that on October 23, around 75 kg of explosives, including potassium nitrate, were seized from the residence of 29-year-old Jameesha Mubeen, who was killed after a gas cylinder exploded in a car he was travelling in.

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Mubeen is suspected to have played a crucial role in a conspiracy bid to carry out sabotage activities in Coimbatore.

According to the report, the explosion took place while Mubeen was moving past a temple in the car in Coimbatore and he had also tried to evade a police check post.

Police said so far six people have been arrested by the Tamil Nadu police in connection with the case.

According to reports, Mubeen and the five arrested men were allegedly in contact with one Mohammad Azharuddin, who is currently lodged in jail over his links to the deadly Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka in 2019. Mubeen was also questioned by the NIA in 2019 for his alleged terror links.