BJP claims Coimbatore car blast a suicide attack, seeks NIA probe

Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Annamalai on Tuesday said that state police should accept as a "suicide attack," the car explosion due to an LPG cylinder blast in Coimbatore, in which a man was charred to death.

He said the Tamil Nadu BJP has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking a transfer of the case to the National Investigation Agency.

Addressing a press conference in Coimbatore, Annamalai said, "A day before Diwali, a car exploded in Coimbatore. Raids by NIA and arrests have shown that Coimbatore has become a den of terrorists. The police recovered 50 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium, sodium, fuse wire and 7-volt batteries from the residence of Jamesha Mubin (who died in the accident). Police have not disclosed this till now."

"On October 21, Jamesha Mubin posted a WhatsApp status similar to that of ISIS," Annamalai said.

"The police has not said why they have arrested 5 people. On behalf of TN BJP, we've written a letter to Union home minister regarding this blast. The police has to accept this as a 'suicide attack'," the Tamil Nadu state BJP leader said.

Coimbatore city police late on Monday night arrested five men after a man was burnt to death when the car he was in a gas cylinder fitted inside the car exploded at Ukkadam, near the famed Sangameshwarar temple in the city on Sunday morning.

The accused, identified as Mohammed Dhalha, Mohammed Azarudeen, Mohammed Riyas, Feroz Ismail, and Mohammed Navaz Ismail have been remanded to police custody.

The body of the deceased recovered from the blast site has been identified as 25-year-old Jamesha Mubin.

The Tamil Nadu BJP leader alleged that Chief Minister MK Stalin should focus more on law and order to save Tamil people from violence and terrorist activities.

"Now people from a specific religion are part of Tamil Nadu intelligence. This is a total intelligence failure. The police has to accept that this is a 'suicide attack'," said Annamalai adding that in his letter to the NIA he has sought that the case be handed over to the NIA.

Meanwhile, security has been increased in Coimbatore with Rapid Action Force personnel deployed across the city to carry out search and security operations across public areas like bus stands and railway stations.

Visuals from the CCTV footage near the house showed five people purportedly taking out a gunny bag from Mubeen's house on Saturday, police said

During a search at Mubin's residence in the Kottaimedu area in Ukkadam, police said they recovered chemicals like potassium nitrate, aluminium, and sulfur, which are used to make crude bombs.

"We have also recovered nails and ball bearing from the spot where the explosion happened. We have identified the source of the cylinders and the car. This could not be a suicide attack," said state Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu. (ANI)