Chennai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations across Tamil Nadu in the follow up to the Coimbatore car blast case.
A radicalised IS person and suspected suicide bomber Jameesha Mubin was killed in the blast that took place in front of a temple in the wee hours of October 23 in the Textile city, reviving memories of the 1998 serial blast in which more than 50 people were killed.
The raids, which began this morning, were on in 45 locations across the State.
The raids were on by NIA Special teams with the support of the Tamil Nadu police on the premises of suspected IS activists or sympathisers based on the information revealed by six associates of Mubin, who were arrested a day after the car blast in the Textile City and seized 75 kg of explosive materials during subsequent searches at Mubin’s residence.
.Police sources said the raids were on at many places in Chennai, Coimbatore and some other locations in the State. In Coimbatore, the raids are being conducted in about 20 locations.
Door-to-door searches are on at a housing board in Pullukadu, near the communally sensitive Ukkadam area and are also at at Kottaimedu, Podanur, Kuniyamuthur and Selvapuram.
The NIA is probing the source and supply network of funds and explosive substances routed to the accused linked to the blast. Before the NIA took over the probe following recommendations made by Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, Tamil Nadu Police invoked the provisions of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the six arrested associates of Mubin, who was earlier questioned by the NIA in 2019 for suspected terror links.
Those arrested in connection with the car blast are Mohammad Thalka (25), Mohammad Asarudheen (25), Muhammad Riyaz (27), Feroz Ismail (27), Mohammad Nawaz Ismail (27) and Afsar Khan, a relative of Mubin. All the six were brought from Coimbatore around midnight on Monday and lodged in Puzhal Central prison here. They were produced before
the NIA Special Court at Poonamallee on Tuesday and were remanded in judicial custody till November 22.
They were escorted back to Coimbatore prison amid tight security yesterday. The NIA is also planning to file a petition before the NIA Court seeking custody of the accused for further questioning.
