COIMBATORE: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested two more people in connection with the October 23 Coimbatore bomb blast. The arrested were Y Sheikh Hidayathuallah (40) of Al-Ameen Colony and A Sanofar Ali (34) of Vincent Road in Ukkdadam in Coimbatore. Nine people had been arrested earlier.
According to the NIA, investigations revealed that the two suspects had attended meetings about the criminal conspiracy in the interior forests of Asanoor and Kadambur, Sathyamangalam in Erode in February 2022. “The meetings were led by arrested-accused K Umar Farooq and attended by deceased-accused Jamesha Mubeen along with Mohammed Azharudheen, Hidayatullah, and Ali, where they conspired to execute terror acts,” added the NIA in a statement.
Sources said, Sheikh Hidayathullah a dry fruits shop owner at Karumbukadai had earlier been questioned by the NIA in the aftermath of the 2019 Sri Lanka bomb blast. His father was arrested in connection with the 1998 explosion in Coimbatore and acquitted. Sanofar Ali runs a vegetable shop at TK Market in Coimbatore. The agency nabbed the two following an interrogation with five suspects Azharudheen, Farooq, Afsar Khan, Firoz Ismail, and B Ferose Khan.
Kovai blast linked to ISIS: BJP chief
Reacting to the arrests, BJP state president K Annamalai said, “While DMK continues to maintain Coimbatore blast as a cylinder blast, the NIA has again stated it was an ISIS-linked suicide bombing incident and has taken two terrorists into custody. The NIA mentions that planing took place in Asanoor and Kadambur areas of Sathyamangalam forest in Erode.” Will the state intelligence wake up to this hard truth, he asked. On December 20, special court in Poonamallee granted NIA nine days of custody of the suspects for interrogation. They were brought to Coimbatore on December 24.