The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another person in connection with last year’s ISISI-inspired car bomb blast case of Coimbatore, in which the prime accused was killed in the terror explosion triggered by a vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The agency sleuths arrested Mohammed Idris alias Idris, a resident of Coimbatore, for conspiring with other accused persons to commit the terror attack, which took place in front of the ancient Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil temple at Eswaran Kovil Street, Ukkadam in Coimbatore on October 23, last year.
The vehicle carrying the IED was being driven by the deceased accused, Jamesha Mubeen, with whom Idris was closely associated, said the NIA.
“Idris was part of the secret conspiracy meetings with Jamesha and other accused persons in planning of the terror attack,” stated the NIA.
Investigations by the NIA have revealed further that Jamesha was inspired and motivated by hardcore ISIS ideology and had committed the terror attack after promising bayath or allegiance to the terrorist organisation’s self-proclaimed Caliph, Abu-Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi.
Earlier, on April 20 and June 2 this year, the NIA had filed two separate chargesheets in the case before the NIA Court at Poonamallee, Chennai, against six and five accused respectively.
The case was initially registered by Ukkadam Police Station in Coimbatore City and subsequently handed over to NIA, which re-registered it October 27, last year.
Umar Faaruq, Firose Khan, Mohamed Thoufeeq, Sheikh Hidayatullah and Sanofar Ali were charge-sheeted in June while Mohammed Asarutheen, Mohammed Thalha, Firos, Mohammed Riyas, Navas and Afsar Khan were charge-sheeted in the complaint filed on April 20. The NIA probe found that “Mubeen, along with Mohammed Asarutheen, Umar Faaruq, Sheikh Hidayathullah and Sanofer Ali, had conspired to carry out a series of suicidal terror attacks in Coimbatore city.” “The attack was intended to wreak revenge on the kafirs (non-believers), as stated in one of the self-made confessional videos, made a few days before the intended attack,” the NIA said.
Two accused, Azharudeen and Afsar, helped Jamesha Mubeen procure, mix and prime the explosives, while Talha had provided the car that was used in the crime, it said. Three accused, Ferose, Riyaz and Nawas, had helped Jamesha load various building blocks of the improvised explosive device (IED), including drums and gas cylinders into the car, the agency said.
The NIA alleged that the “conspiracy” was hatched in the forest of Sathyamangalam in Erode district of Tamil Nadu, where Umar Faaruq was elected as the “amir” (commander of army) to lead the execution of the attack. “He, in turn, assigned various roles to the other accused persons. The conspirators had planned to use the remaining explosives for a series of terror attacks.” “Mohammed Thoufeeq was in possession of radical books and a notepad handed over by Jamesha Mubeen containing designs to make IEDs,” the agency said. “Umar Faaruq and Jamesha.
