The Coimbatore car blast case involved a lone wolf suicide bomber, Jamesha Mubeen, whose vehicle, loaded with an improvised explosive device (IED), prematurely exploded in front of the ancient Kottai Sangameshwarar temple on Eswaran Kovil Street, Ukkadam, Coimbatore, on October 23, 2022. Initially, the DMK had described it as an LPG cylinder blast, but when the NIA took over the investigation, it was revealed to be a terror attack attempt, contradicting the State Government’s earlier version.
NIA Makes 15th Arrest In ISIS-Inspired Car Bomb Blast Case In Coimbatore pic.twitter.com/HNbfMbx05i
— NIA India (@NIA_India) November 4, 2023
The most recent arrest is that of Thaha Nazeer, a 27-year-old individual, son of Abdul Kadar from Pothanur. Nazeer worked as a painter at the body shop of a car sales and service company in Coimbatore. He was presented before a special NIA court in Poonamallee, Chennai, on November 3.
It has come to light that Thaha Nazeer had met Jamesha Mobeen just a few days before the car bomb blast, and they had a conversation for over two hours at a rented house on HMP Street, Kottaimedu. They met in a room where explosives were stored in carton boxes. They had another meeting at the residence one day prior to the car blast, indicating Nazeer’s prior knowledge of the attack. Nazeer and another accused, Mohammed Thoufiq from Podanur (arrested immediately after the blast), were childhood friends. It is alleged that Mubeen provided Thoufiq with a handwritten document explaining the procedure for making bombs.
The NIA has already filed charge sheets in the case before the NIA court in Poonamallee. Six individuals were charged on April 20, and an additional five on June 2. The ongoing investigation reveals the complexities of the case and the meticulous planning that went into the thwarted terrorist act in Coimbatore.
