In a significant development related to the ISIS-inspired car bomb blast that occurred in Coimbatore last year, another suspect has been apprehended. This arrest brings the total number of individuals detained by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the case to 15, according to officials who made the announcement on Friday, as reported by PTI.
The incident, which took place on October 23 last year, involved a suicide bomber named Jamesha Mubeen. He lost his life when the improvised explosive device (IED) in his vehicle detonated prematurely in front of the ancient Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil temple on Eswaran Kovil Street, Ukkadam in Coimbatore.
Initially, the case was registered at the Ukkadam Police Station in Coimbatore city and was later transferred to the NIA for investigation.
The most recent arrest was that of Tahanaseer, a resident of Coimbatore, who was apprehended during a raid conducted by the federal agency. It has been revealed that Tahanaseer, along with another individual named Mohd Thoufeeq, was closely associated with the deceased suspect, Mubeen. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Tahanaseer and Thoufeeq had visited Mubeen's residence exactly one week prior to the attack, during which they conspired to carry out the act of terror.
In a significant revelation, the spokesperson for the NIA stated that a scrutiny of Tahanaseer's digital devices unveiled that he possessed ISIS-inspired literature and had attempted to erase incriminating material by using specific mobile-based applications and apps after the terror incident. This was seemingly done to evade the attention of law enforcement agencies.
The investigation also shed light on the fact that the deceased accused, Mubeen, had been deeply inspired and motivated by the radical ideology of ISIS. Before executing the terror attack, Mubeen had sworn allegiance to Abu-Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, the self-proclaimed Caliphate of ISIS at that time, according to the NIA spokesperson.
The NIA has been actively pursuing this case and has already filed two separate charge sheets, one on April 20 and another on June 2, before an NIA court in Chennai against a total of 11 suspects.
