Kalamassery Blasts: Death toll rises to three, terror link not ruled out

It was during a prayer congregation of Yehova Witnesses, a minority Christian religious denomination, that multiple blasts took place. At least 30 people are undergoing treatment. Eighteen of them are in the intensive care unit. Five of them are in serious condition. All are suffering serious burn injuries. According to government medical college authorities, Libina had suffered serious burns, about 95 per cent of her body. She was on a ventilator.

A series of explosions shook the International Convention Centre in Kalamasserry, where the Christian group were having the concluding programme of the three-day prayer congregation. Within hours after the blasts, one Dominic Martin, a self-styled former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, had surrendered before the Thrissur Police and confessed his responsibility for the series of blasts. He submitted before the police that he had quit that religious group as they were “anti-national”. He had said this in a FB video he released after the blasts. He says, he was in the group for more than sixteen years; he realised about six years before that the movement was not moving in the right direction. He claims he had tried to correct them, but in vain. He says he was against the “wrong faith and thought process” of the group. Interestingly, once the video was telecast, his FB account was deleted. He has been taken into custody under UAPA.

Few questions remain unanswered

Martin claims he took him several months to learn to manufacture IED with the help of internet. Can such a man operate such a blast, in such a big congregation with a remote control, alone ?

Where did he gather the necessary parts from ?

He went to Kodakara (Thrissur district) police station, 55 kms off his home in Tammanam, Kochi. Why ?

Police and NIA have not taken Martin’s claim for granted that it was his solo act. Nor do they rule out terror links. NIA awaits the green signal to venture into the investigation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan immediately after the blast occurred. And the anti-terror squads of NSG and NIA were dispatched to Kerala to assist the Kerala police.

But the right-thinking people, along with the BJP, are not ready to accept the version of Dominic. They are not ready to rule out a larger conspiracy behind the blast. That a single individual physically engineered the blast does not mean that he is alone in the entire operation, from the conspiracy to the preparation of the IED and the blast. They believe that a proper inquiry alone can reveal what is what.

That Martin was active in all social media platforms is a serious matter. He was in Gulf for few years. Who were his contacts there ? He does not mingle with his neighbours in Kochi. These are mysterious.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the Government of Kerala (GoK) cannot escape responsibility for the growth of terrorism in the state. Because GoK is soft on terrorism. GoK once said that the Elathur (Kozhikode) train fire accused was mentally derailed. CM protests against Israel in Delhi, while terrorist Hamas unleashes attacks against the innocent people.

But CM Vijayan attacked union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, stating that ‘those who carry poison inside them always fume it’. He alleged that Chandrasekhar said “Pinarayi Vijayan heads the home ministry and faces several corruption charges. Kalamassery blast is the blatant and shameful appeasement politics”.

However, the union minister shot back referring to the pro-Hamas convention organised in Malappuram district by the Solidarity Youth Movement, Kerala, the youth wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, which was virtually addressed by Khaled Mashal, the former chief of the Hamas movement. There were reports that Mashal’s speech was to incite Muslims against Jews and Hindus. He asked the gathering to extend support to Hamas. A shocking report suggests that the slogan “Uproot, Bulldozer Hindutwa, and Judaism” was raised in the meeting. Minister blamed the GoK presided over by CM Pinararyi Vijayan, for permitting such a meeting. He said Kerala has turned a hotbed of terrorism. He added that both the LDF and the UDF are equally responsible for the situation. Police tries to simplify the issue. He believes that it was his duty to point out the facts.

In short, people in Kerala are worried about the menace of terrorism. They keep their fingers crossed to hear the brain and muscles behind the Kalamassery blast. Who is behind Martin Dominic ? It is to be remembered that Central Intelligence had warned of blasts months before in Christian churches and religious conclaves. It is reported that the Intelligence had hinted to the Kerala Police that they were likely to be like blasts in the Christian churches in Sri Lanka. There were news few months before that a Christian priest would be killed and temples would be attacked. Two hundred fifteen people were killed in the 2019 blasts in Sri Lankan church and luxury hotels during Easter.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Intelligence Bureau finds the blast a terrorist act and Martin has links with Bangladeshi terror groups. No doubt, an NIA probe is the need of the hour.

Meanwhile, reports suggest, Intelligence Bureau finds the blast as a terrorist act and also, Martin has links with Bangladeshi terror groups.

No doubt, an NIA probe is the need of the hour.