* Man surrenders before Kerala police, takes responsibility of serial blasts
· * Amit Shah speaks to CM Vijayan
· * NIA takes control of blasts probe
The News Freedom
Chandigarh, October 29
Two people were killed and over 52 were injured in a series of blast at a convention centre of a Christian group in Kochi on Sunday morning, as per media reports. The cause of the blasts is being probed. The explosion occurred at around 9:40 am during a prayer meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kalamassery. Teams of counter-terror sleuths and National Security Guards (NSG) have been dispatched to the blasts site. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that he is monitoring the situation closely, The Hindustan Times reported.
The religious meet today was attended by nearly 2,000 people. People who were present at the convention centre told the media that the first blast occurred in the middle of a prayer. Officials said explosives had been placed inside a tiffin box, a report in the NDTV website said.
A report in India Today said that a man in Kerala’s Thrissur district has claimed responsibility for the serial blasts at a prayer meet in Kalamassery. The man, Dominic Martin, claims to have planted the bomb at the convention centre where three blasts took place on Sunday morning, the police said. Kalamassery, Kerala ADGP (law and order) MR Ajith Kumar, said, “One person has surrendered in Kodakara Police Station, in Thrissur Rural, claiming that he has done it. His name is Dominic Martin and he claims that he belonged to the same group of sabha. We are verifying it. We are looking into all aspects of this case.The blast took place in the central part of the hall.”, a report in India further said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take stock of the situation. Amit Shah has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Security Guard (NSG) to initiate an inquiry into the blast., according to reports, According to Deccan Herald’s report, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s premier counter-terrorism law enforcement agency, has assumed control of the investigation into the Kalamassery blasts in Kochi on Sunday. Kalamassery near Kochi has been witness to Muslim radical activity including PFI in the past. As the nation grapples with the shocking incident, authorities are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a thorough investigation and security measures have been heightened in the region. A report in Deccan Herald further said that NIA officers are working in collaboration with local police, and are rigorously examining the CCTV camera footage from in and around the Zamrah International Convention Centre area, where the blasts occurred.
A report in The Hindustan Times said that the visuals on local TV channels showed fire rescue and police personnel in large numbers evacuating people from the site. Many people were seen outside the convention centre after the explosion. According to Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev the blast site is cordoned off and police and fire rescue have been pressed into action. Kerala Health Minister Veena George has asked all government healthcare professionals to report for duty after the incident, as per report.