New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a chargesheet in the Coimbatore car bomb blast case against six persons. An explosion took place at Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar temple in Ukkadam of Coimbatore in October 2022. A vehicle-borne Improvised Explosives Device (V-IED) driven by Jamesha Mubeen had blown up in front of the temple, killing him in the blast. NIA investigations revealed that Mubeen was inspired by ISIS ideology to carry out this attack. Later, the NIA re-registered the case and took up the investigation.
“A pen drive recovered from Mohammed Asarutheen contained video recordings of Jamesha Mubeen where he had identified himself as a member of Daulat-e-Islamia (or Islamic State). He had spoken extensively on his intention to commit a suicide terror attack against the ‘kafirs’ (non-believers) and to become a martyr. Mubeen was inspired by the bayans (sermons) of Zahran Hashim, a radical Islamic cleric of Sri Lanka, who masterminded the Easter serial suicide bomb attacks in 2019 killing around 260 people. Mubeen wanted to orchestrate a similar kind of attack against the ‘kafirs’ in India,” the official said.
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Handwritten notes were recovered from Mubeen’s residence wherein criticism of the existing democratic system, which is not in tandem with Islamic laws, has been mentioned. There is also a mention of ‘targets’, including government office buildings, district court, public gathering places like parks, railway stations and a few other local temples are also mentioned in these notes, the official said.
Mubeen was aided and assisted by his associates Mohammed Asarutheen, Mohammed Thalha, Firos, Mohammed Riyas, Navas and Afsar Khan in arranging logistics. Thalha had sourced the Maruti 800 blue colour car bearing registration number TN-01-F-6163, which was used in the explosion of a vehicle-borne IED. Firos, Riyas and Navas had loaded the explosives and gas cylinders in the car making it the potent weapon it became. Asarutheen and Afsar, both cousins of Mubeen, had procured, weighed, mixed and packed the chemical constituents used to manufacture the VBIED used in the attack.
While the charges for the offences committed by Mubeen are abetted following his death, Mohammed Asarutheen, Mohammed Thalha, Firos, Mohammed Riyas, Navas and Afsar Khan have been charged under various Sections such as 34, 120B, 121A, 122, and 153A of IPC, sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Explosives Substances Act and sections 16, 18, 20, 38 and 39 of UA (P) Act.
