NIA conducts raids in Tamil Nadu in connection with Coimbatore blast

The National Investigation Agency is investigating the car blast that took place in Coimbatore on October 23, 2022

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting raids at 16 locations across Tamil Nadu in connection with the October 2022 Coimbatore car cylinder blast case, according to sources.

A day before Deepavali, the residents of Kottaimedu in Coimbatore city woke up to a car explosion that occurred in front of Sangameswarar Temple at dawn on October 23, 2022. By evening, the victim of the car explosion that was triggered by one of the two LPG cylinders kept inside the vehicle was identified as Jameesha Mubin.

While the suspected mastermind Mubin, 29, was killed in the blast, the police initially arrested six persons – Muhammad Azharudheen, 23, Afsar Khan, 28, Muhammad Thalha, 25, Muhammad Riyas, 27, Firoz Ismail, 27, and Muhammad Nawaz Ismail, 25, all hailing from Coimbatore, on various charges.

According to the NIA, the accused had conspired for several months before executing the terror attack. The investigators found out that Faaruq led the conspiracy meetings in Hasanur and Kadambur areas of Sathyamangalam forests in Erode in February 2022, which was attended by Mubin, Azharudheen, Hidayatullah and Ali.