Kerala: Man who claimed responsibility for Ernakulam serial blasts arrested

The Kerala Police on Monday arrested the man who claimed responsibility for a series of blasts at a convention centre of a Christian religious group in Ernakulam, India Today reported.

The man, Dominic Martin, had surrendered to the police in the Thrissur district on Sunday, hours after the blasts. He has now been arrested on charges of murder as well as under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Act.

On Sunday, at least two big explosions occurred at a Jehovah’s Witnesses gathering in the Kalamassery municipality area. The blasts left three dead and at least 41 injured.

Before surrendering to the authorities, Martin had said in a social media post that he was enraged at the “teachings” of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation. The post was later deleted.

“I was a ‘non-serious’ member of the congregation for 16 years,” Martin had said. “Six years ago, I found that their teachings were ‘anti-national’. The denomination’s leadership refused to pay heed, although I had requested them to stop this type of preaching which even exhorted children to refuse sweets and food items offered by their classmates. They also tell members of their congregation to desist from singing the national anthem.”

Martin added that he felt the need to react since he found such teachings to be dangerous.

The blasts

Around 2,500 Jehovah’s Witnesses from across the state had gathered for a prayer session at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre when the blasts took place.

A witness told reporters that the first blast took place around 9.30 am, five minutes after the prayer session began.

Kerala Director General of Police Shaik Darvesh Saheb told reporters on Sunday that as per preliminary investigations, improvised explosive devices may have been used in the blasts.