KOCHI: 'Quiet and withdrawn, Ebin B Paul, 32, was reluctant even to look people in the face'. This 'kingpin' in the Kadavumbhagam synagogue is an undergraduate design student who went to the United Kingdom for further studies only to return without completing the course.
Ebin is presently unemployed and lives in a rented house in Puthencruz with his family.
He was arrested late on Tuesday evening. Investigators are examining his digital trail for clues to what they suspect could be a series of targeted attacks carried out at the behest of an unidentified online handler.
From allegedly discussing plans to procure a firearm and references to potential targets in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to communicating with an unidentified handler through Telegram, Ebin's digital trail presents a stark contrast to the withdrawn man investigators describe.
According to sources, Ebin had no known employment at the time of the incident, and his father had been looking after his affairs.
A police official described him as withdrawn and said he rarely made eye contact during interactions. However, no established link has emerged between his reported behaviour, possible psychological difficulties and the offences under investigation.
The circumstances of his arrest have also drawn the attention of investigators. After allegedly setting fire to Blossom Nursery near the synagogue in the early hours of Monday, Ebin reportedly returned home after some time. When the police reached the house, he was found locked inside a room, according to the sources.
The police suspect that Ebin was in regular contact with an unidentified person he referred to as ‘Boss’. Investigators reportedly found photographs and videos of the synagogue-area arson and a separate incident involving the burning of a used car in Muvattupuzha on his mobile phone. They suspect that he was sending the footage to the individual as evidence of the attacks.
“There appear to have been financial transactions between Ebin and his 'Boss'. We found several suspicious messages in certain online groups he was part of. However, the details can be established only after a forensic examination of his digital devices,” Kochi City Deputy Commissioner of Police, Arun K Pavithran, told the reporters.
Ebin was also a part of smaller online groups that allegedly contained radical content.
Meanwhile, the possibility of foreign links is being investigated, and as per the officials, he was exposed to different porn sites as well.
The investigation has also taken a significant turn following the alleged recovery of eight types of suspected narcotic and psychotropic substances from his residence. Notably, investigators are trying to establish whether Ebin's personal circumstances, suspected substance use or possible psychological difficulties had any bearing on his alleged actions.
The police are examining the seizure alongside the information recovered from his digital devices, although the relevance of the alleged drug-related activities to the arson investigation remains unclear.
Sources said the National Investigation Agency and other central agencies are examining aspects of the case as investigators seek to identify the person referred to as ‘Boss’, verify the suspected financial transactions, and establish whether the incidents were part of a coordinated operation.