NIA Nabs 3 Suspects In ISIS-Inspired Coimbatore Car Bomb Blast Case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested three more accused in the October 2022 ISIS-inspired car bomb blast case of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The three suspects arrested by the NIA have been identified as Aboo Hanifa, Saran Mariappan and Pavas Rahman. With the fresh arrest in the case, the total number of accused arrested in the case has gone up to 18.

According to the NIA, with the arrest of Aboo Hanifa, Saran Mariappan and Pavas Rahman, the central probe agency has unearthed the terror financing angle in the case, in which the total number of accused arrested has gone up to 18. Four chargesheets have been filed against 14 accused by the agency before the NIA Court at Poonamallee, Chennai.

Notably, the latest arrest has been made in the case registered in 2022 related to a vehicle borne IED (VBIED) explosion near the ancient Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil temple at Eswaran Kovil Street in Coimbatore’s Ukkadam, on October 23, 2022.

The terror attack was perpetrated by deceased accused Jamesha Mubeen, a self-styled ISIS operative and suicide bomber, as an act of revenge against ‘Kafirs’ or non-believers of Islam.

The NIA investigations have revealed that the three accused arrested on October 21 had colluded with one other to provide funds for the commission of the terror act. Aboo Hanifa was employed as a faculty in Kovai Arabic College, where Jamesha Mubeen and other arrested accused persons got radicalized in ISIS ideology.

As per information shared by the NIA, prior to carrying out the Coimbatore terror attack, Jamesha Mubeen, had sworn allegiance by giving "bayath" to Abu-Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, the then self-styled Khalifa of ISIS.

An offshoot case registered with respect to the radicalization had separately led to the arrest and chargesheeting of four accused by NIA.

Further investigations are continuing in the case.