Coimbatore blast: NIA files chargesheet against 6 men ‘inspired’ by ISIS

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New Delhi, April 20

The NIA today said it had filed a chargesheet against six persons in the October 2022 Coimbatore car bomb blast case.

Identifying those, who have been named as accused in the chargesheet, the NIA said

they include Mohammed Asarutheen, Mohammed Thalha, Firos, Mohammed Riyas, Navas and Afsar Khan. All of them have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Explosives Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, it added.

However, the charges for the offences committed by Jamesha Mubeen, who was inspired by ISIS ideology, have abated following his death in the terrorist act, the NIA said.

An explosion had taken place at an ancient temple — Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil — at Eswaran Kovil Street, Ukkadam, Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district in October last year.

A vehicle-borne improvised explosives device (V-IED) driven by Jamesha Mubeen went off in front of the temple. Mubeen was killed in the blast.

The NIA said its investigations had revealed that Mubeen was inspired by ISIS ideology to carry out this attack. It further pointed out that “he had also taken ‘bayath’ or oath of allegiance to its self-proclaimed Caliph Abu-al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi”.

The NIA took over the case on October 27 last year.

“A pen drive recovered from Mohammed Asarutheen contained videos 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,” the NIA said in its chargesheet. The agency said it also recovered handwritten notes from Mubeen’s residence where criticism of the “existing” democratic system, which are not in tandem with Islamic laws, has been mentioned.

The case

An explosion had taken place at the Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil temple at Ukkadam in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district in October last year.