The toll in last week’s blasts at a Jehovah’s Witnesses gathering in Kerala’s Ernakulam district rose to four on Monday after a critically injured woman succumbed to burns, reported The Indian Express.
Around 5 am on Monday, 61-year-old Moly Joy, who had sustained at least 70% burns, died at the Ernakulam Medical Centre, reported The Hindu. The other three persons who died in the blasts were identified as Libina (12), Leona Paulose (55) and Kumari (52).
Nineteen persons who were injured in the explosions are currently undergoing medical treatment, and 11 of them are in intensive care units.
At least two big explosions occurred at a convention centre of the Christian group in Kalamassery municipality area on October 29.
Hours after the blasts, a man named Dominic Martin had surrendered to the police in the Thrissur district claiming responsibility for them.
Before surrendering, 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.
He was arrested on charges of murder as well as under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Act.
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